The WOBM Womens Club

In the workplace the only constant is change and I’ve seen plenty of it in almost 28 years at WOBM. I’ll be the first to admit that I have not always welcomed change and have argued and lobbied against it but at the same time I’m smart enough to know at the end of the day you either need to accept it or move on.

A big part of the change is the male-female ratio of staff members. At one time our building was referred to as a big boy’s club and office and water cooler conversation was dominated by sports, politics and the like. When you needed something physical done there was no shortage of candidates. Times have changed here….I kid around and say we’re becoming a testosterone-free workplace. When it comes to full-time employees the ladies now outnumber us men 2-1 and when you walk around the building the talk is always about American Idol, celebrity gossip and fashion. At times I have to search out someone for a little baseball chatter.

Now I don’t want you to think that I’m opposed to the growing female presence in the office. There are several positives which I’d like to mention:

1. They look better.
2. They smell better.
3. They’ve actually fixed up the women’s bathroom with shelves, pictures and decorations and promise to work on the men’s room next.
4. There’s always flowers around
5. It’s probably cleaner than it used to be
6. When you’re sick they not only ask how you’re doing but care about how you feel.
7. They remember birthdays.
8. They talk about sex more than men. I know this because often I’ll
walk into the office in the back, which is shared by six ladies
and conversation stops immediately.

One other thing. Some of the ladies don’t even need to call for help when the water bottle has to be changed. So here’s one guy who has accepted that it’s a different world today….equal pay for equal work. Welcome ladies to WOBM ladies…darn glad to have you.