This is a kick-off of a series of essays to explore workspace environments, beginning with lived experiences of unfair and unjust treatment. Thanks for your interest and feel free to contact me.
#moneydenominator - “It all came down to money – the great equalizer and common denominator.” ~ James Ellroy
After I saw the large envelope awkwardly portruding in my mailbox, I immediately ripped open the envelope, let shreds of paper fall to my feet, breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled ear to ear. I held the offer letter for my first professional job after months of rejection letters. In 1987, I was granted the position of Environmental Engineer, an entry level federal government position. My starting salary was more than 30% lower than comparable positions. There was no counteroffer option.
What I was told
The government pay scale is prescriptive. My low GPA did not qualify me for a higher pay rate. Pay increases were during annual performance appraisals.
I rationalized choosing this lower-paying job - stability, salary transparency, decent benefits, predictable workday, professional development training, and aligned with my values.
What I later learned
Although salaries were prescriptive, there are other ways to provide more money before an annual appraisal.
After thirty-five years in the workforce - not all things are as they first appear. And money doesn't buy happiness.
#iknoweverett - “My counsel advised me that I should accept the counteroffer of $200,000.00.” ~ Everett Pringle
In early 2022, Everett, whom I met in the early 2010s because of work, dispassionately stated this in his commanding husky voice. Context matters. What you see - $200,000 - comes with what you don't see … this amount tethered to Everett’s racial discrimination lawsuit against his employer.
Seventeen months earlier in the throes of the pandemic, I first learned about Everett’s legal battle to surface the discrimination via jury trial. He kept me in the loop - as a third-party observer - as events unfolded.
I welcomed Everett’s seemingly mundane adventures - bureaucratic paperwork, obligatory mediation, video recorded depositions, and mounting billable hours by the law firm he retained. Lockdown afforded me lots of time not only to reminisce about unfair treatment throughout my career but also to have pointed, cathartic, and highly-charged conversations about civil rights.
#treesound - "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" ~ Unknown
Everett is African-American. As a Filipino-American woman, it’s difficult to comprehend the institutional and aversive racism he experiences, so I commiserate. I can only fully understand my own lived experiences of workspace inequities. Our conversations are colorful. On rare occasions, we obstinately disagree. On some occasions, we politely agree to disagree. But mostly, we agree.
The following are conversation topics we’ve come to replay often.
I’ve always been excited on day one with any new employer - a mutual agreement with hopeful aspirations. It’s the proverbial honeymoon phase of a job. But the honeymoon ends quickly as disappointments mount. Unmet expectations. Feigned efforts to rekindle the spark. Conflicting emotions. Failed attempts to make it work. Betrayals of trust. It feels like there’s a winner and loser, a giver and taker, a dominant and submissive. When is there a win-win outcome?
The maze of procedures to resolve civil rights violations is inherently designed as a confrontational process. In theory, it’s intended to be impartial. In practice, it’s a test of wills. I’ve had my share of sleepless nights. If a person is discriminated against, chooses not to pursue their civil rights, experiences retaliation, and no data is publicly reported, did the discrimination happen? Transparency is not a requirement, nor is simplicity in navigating the system.
I politely agree to disagree with Everett’s perspective on the inculcation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workspace. DEI activities result in heightened self-awareness. Promotions and opportunities expand. He is quick to point out unspoken expectations and hidden agendas. More sinister are how some folks skillfully don and hone performative "woke" behaviors, still surreptitiously harming others and going unchecked.
When it comes to DEI, we question what and whether to trust an organization’s heralded DEI program successes. Hooray for a growing diverse demographic but are employee disputes reducing? Employers rarely make accessible reports of union grievances, EEO complaints, and lawsuits - activities often involving folks for which DEI programs are intended to uplift.
#peek-a-boo - "When a wise man points at the moon, the imbecile examines the finger." ~ Confucius
Very much short of retaining counsel to file a lawsuit, I exercised different tactics while in offensive work environments of unfair and unjust treatment. The following are a fraction of situations over the past thirty-five years, where what you saw was not quite the complete reality of what it was.
coffee break
I was awarded an unprecedented salary increase. Cornered by a Principal in a shared coffee break area, he unloaded his dismay about my resignation. I debated with him. He abruptly cut me off and walked away.
What you don’t see - The salary increase came after demonstrating the disparity among other industry indicators, salary trends, and peers’ salaries. Their counteroffer to phase in compensation was not aligned with my stated conditions for remaining with the firm. This prompted my job search.
hush money
I moved-on from a position after being awarded a publicly celebrated bonus. I was told the amount was beyond the allowable for my employee status. Managers other than mine lobbied for the award.
What you don’t see - My dogged effort to overturn an unfair performance appraisal by an aggrieved manager. My preliminary efforts to secure legal counsel for an EEO complaint. Human resources (HR) not reassigning me to another department because their administrative procedures were unclear.
What you don’t hear - "Why isn't she like other Asian females?" - Aggrieved Manager
pocket pool
I witnessed a manager playing pocket pool during a business development meeting. Most of my peers made excuses for what I saw. One person dismissed it as "You're seeing things." He was wrong. Corroborated by the prospective client who complained later that week, I diligently followed guidance to file a complaint. While waiting for closure, I was successfully recruited (with a 27% salary increase and better benefits) to join another organization.
What you don't see - After resigning, I later learned they claimed no complaint was received. No investigation initiated. Serendipitously, I bumped into the HR person months later. The HR person addressing the matter was let go. Allegedly, the company deleted and trashed their files.
#iknoweverett - “If we get a chance to talk, be prepared to have your reality challenged …” ~ Everett Pringle
Everett verbally agreed to the Settlement Agreement resolved by the U.S. District Court of Northern California. Signing the agreement is a formality. His lawsuit did not go to jury trial, yet the legal docket memorializes the proceedings. His 2019 filed lawsuit, citing employment discrimination based on his race, also cites complaints as early as 2015. His employer, a federal government agency, is required to pay $200,000 for attorney’s fees and costs. His attorney fees were $314,412.53. Specific incidents raised in the lawsuit have been expunged in his employee records.
Throughout the lawsuit and to this day, Everett continues to work for the agency and among folks named in his racial discrimination lawsuit.
Thanks to Ken Rice and Roy Kamimura for continuing to support my exploration around diversity - your feedback, insights, thoughtfulness, and friendship are priceless. And thanks to Write of Passage Cohort 11 community folks - CansaFis Foote and Nic Rosslee - your thoughtful feedback allowed me to dig deeper.