Be Fierce in Current Events

I just finished watching Bombshell. I have been waiting for months for this. A few months after I was fired from my job I downloaded Gretchen Carlson’s audiobook Be Fierce from Audile. I learned so much about harassment in the workplace and even had to look at myself and question if I was an enabler and bystander throughout my time. The scene where Megyn was sitting in her car debating if she should do the right thing made me cry. I really felt that moment. Her boss was a charismatic man who did wonders for her and her career and she knew that it would be career suicide and that she would experience retaliation from her colleagues. She took one look at her daughter in the backseat and saw what the fight was for. I had that moment when I looked at my niece and I knew what that fight was for. Both Gretchen and Megyn were fully aware that they would not likely get hired again by a network. They spoke up anyway.

I don’t want to regret what I did. I brought forward allegations that were brought to my attention about a powerful man that everybody respected and loved. We all know that story by now, I experienced direct retaliation from my employers and I slowly watched my job come to an end. The company decided to protect him and then fired me and everybody associated with me and especially fire everybody that confirmed the allegations. Including the perpetrator’s best friend. The entire thing was swept under the rug and now as ex-employees, our allegations can be called sour grapes. They found “just causes” of course to dot their I’s and cross their T’s. I raised my voice defending myself and got fired for harassment. Three abusive managers sat in front of me and tried to tell me that I was the monster? Come on now.

Thanks to Gretchen’s book I now know how to protect myself in the future. Well, I don’t need as much protection as women but I know how to mansplain to them how to protect themselves in the future. Document everything! Document, document document! Time, places and witnesses! Record conversations if you can. Avoid arbitration if it is possible! That is how companies get away with sexual harassment! They send the claims to an arbitrator and it is never heard from again and you’re not legally allowed to talk about it. Tell coworkers if you can! Especially a man if you can get one on your side. HR departments can’t always be trusted. Especially if the man you are reporting is the one who signs their cheques. Make sure you completely understand your company policies and follow them to the letter so that you can say in court that you did everything right. “Apparently she did her homework” was my favourite line in the movie. Gretchen knew what she was doing and was prepared to fight when she lost her job. She played them like a violin. (She’s actually a violinist)

I cried again at the end of the movie when they explained what goes on in a woman’s head after she is harassed. What did I say? Was it what I was wearing? Will anyone believe me? I didn’t have to experience it the way the women who came to me did. It’s been nine months and it still hurts to think about how justice was not served. I’m still trying to come to terms here. It’s getting better but I’m not there yet. Gretchen’s book helped me put into words what I experienced and what I was feeling.