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A demand too far?

(107 Posts)
Oldwoman70 Tue 28-Jan-20 09:36:25

Ann Francke Head of the Chartered Management Institute is calling for men to be prevented from discussing sport at work as it could lead to women feeling excluded.

Isn't it sexist to assume that women don't enjoy watching and talking about sport?

Are there any topics which women should be prevented from discussing?

Anyone else feel some of the "demands" are becoming trivial and frivolous?

Bridgeit Wed 29-Jan-20 21:01:35

I could understand them being banned from talking about sport on the grounds that it can become boring ?
Seriously though it’s the thin end of the wedge if folks can’t dip in & out of topics in a natural flow of conversation .
Some of the places I have worked, a topic could be shut down pretty damn quick if some didn’t like it.!

Grandad1943 Wed 29-Jan-20 21:19:57

Sara65 Quote [Grandad, It’s quite possible to work and chat you know] End Quote.

Sara65, like many businesses in today's world our offices consist of a main open office with twenty eight separate workstations and only three individual offices along with two large conference rooms.

Should any member of staff wish to communicate with another employee then an electronic note can be passed between logged on workstations and replies sent in the same way.

If a member of staff wished to talk about non-related work matters then they would have to leave their workstation and walk across to the workstation of another employee to strike up a conversation.

In the above, the employee starting such a conversation and the staff member expected to respond to such an initiative would both have to stop work to engage in such a discussion. Therefore neither employee would be capable of working and talking as you state, for that would be impossible.

M0nica Wed 29-Jan-20 23:07:36

Grandad has a point. Work conversation was usually limited to short bursts, on coming in in the morning, lunchtime and as people were gathering for meetings.

The only time we had time to talk for any time was when the company was going down the pan and we didn't have much work to do.

Sara65 Thu 30-Jan-20 06:53:43

I tend to disagree, we are very busy and obviously it’s not one long chat from dawn to dusk, there are periods of total silence, and as were on the phones a lot of the time we’re not talking to each other.

But we do chat a lot, we have a laugh, and the atmosphere is very relaxed and we all get on.

Work always comes first, but I certainly don’t think it’s detrimental to have a conversation going.

Sparkling Thu 30-Jan-20 07:21:20

How silly, has Anne nothing better to spend her time on to justify her salary.

knspol Thu 30-Jan-20 07:27:45

Banning people from talking on any subject is wrong. This person has totally outmoded opinions. There are PEOPLE who want to talk about sport as there are PEOPLE who want to talk about 'Strictly' or whatever might be seen by some as women only subject. Are women today so feeble that they go into a corner and get upset because they don't like hearing about something they're not interested in? What next?