Female bullies at work .
WEARING ‘SEXY’ CLOTHES AT WORK? 
YOUNG, FIT AND PRETTY? WATCH OUT!

Minnie Driver. Dressed for AFTER work. Not exactly office attire.

Female bullies could attack actress Minnie Driver if she appeared dressed like this for work.

She is dressed terrifically well for a night on the town but some women go to the office dressed like this. They are getting bullied.

It’s not so much the men that may cause you trouble. You know all about that!

No, it’s other women bullying you! 

Females who wear provocative clothing at work are getting hit on, but not necessarily by men, and not in the way they might have expected.

There have been many articles in the press about bullying recently and a lot of them have focused on girls bullying girls. 

Apparently the harassment doesn’t stop as girls grow up. 

Women act aggressively at work towards other females they perceive as physically attractive. It’s worse if the targets are young, fit and dress provocatively.

A study was done by Tracy Vaillancourt of the University of Ottawa, published in the journal Aggressive Behavior.

Morgan Campbell wrote about it The Toronto Star.

We are accustomed to seeing this kind of thing on reality-based TV shows such as The Bachelor
but in the professor’s study of behavior at work, seeing sexily dressed employees prompted hostility in 97% of the other women who saw them. 97%!

Campbell interviewed Prof. Vaillancourt who researches and writes about mental health and violence prevention. Women frequently have “toxic relationships with other (female) employees” says Vaillancourt “and we know dressing a certain way will garner a negative reaction.’

An assistant entered the waiting room twice: once, she came in wearing pants and a blue top and the next time she came in wearing a mini-skirt. The women waiting barely noticed her in pants but the mini-skirt caused all but two of them to criticize her and even speculate about her morals.

Yikes~!

In Campbell’s piece, Vaillancourt says this kind of hostility has come about through evolution.

When men are scarce, competition increases and females “drive-down” a woman’s “mate value” through gossip and insults.

I’m not sure if men are scarce these days but probably top-of-the-line men are scarce. 

The professor says “We compete with each other all the time and we compete over really silly things.”

Statistics indicate that bullying is roughly 49/51 in offices (males to females) and females may bear the brunt of the behavior.

Campbell says that Vaillancourt figures evolution will win out over attempts to reduce bullying in offices.

“In the ideal world, “says Vaillancourt, “you can wear whatever you want to work: but if you wear something sexy “in the real world, you’re going to get it.”

This speaks to some touchy subjects: 

• self-image
• the image you want to project or create when in public
• self-confidence
• first impressions (among others).
• female bullies

Some will argue: “If you’ve got it, flaunt it” both on the basis of general worldliness and maybe getting ahead, or at least getting noticed, in a big office.

The evidence is that dressing provocatively does not help women trying to climb the ladder. It seems to lead to women bullies at work

But.

• Some people might not have enough experience to know where to draw the dress line at work.
• Some might dress provocatively out of insecurity.
• Some might do it to incite provocation.
  Some might see it as a way indicate self-confidence (however, it might just as likely indicate a lack of it).

Women bullies and bullying in general has to do with self-image.

Dressing in a provocative way could be considered healthy depending on the degree of “sexiness” demonstrated or at least how it is perceived by others– both men and women.

Appearance is important, especially at work and most serious businesses don’t like provocative dressing for a host of reasons. But some businesses (retail sales, advertising, etc.) have a more relaxed attitude towards dress, especially female dress.

It comes down to “When In Rome.. “ regarding business attire.

First impressions DO count and they are difficult to change in the minds of the perceivers.

Some years ago  a sultry-looking woman lawyer, Debrahlee Lorenzana, was allegedly fired from Citibank because of her office dressing style. 

It caused a big stink and led to lawsuits.

Debrahlee Lorenzana Photos by Sas

Some might argue that Ms. Lorenzana’s figure (in the photo here) is  a legitimate part of her and the dress she has on doesn’t  seem alarming.

She’s certainly alarming to some women.

Whew!

That is a different slant on the dressing at work subject.

Today’s slant is female bullies and it’s complicated. 

If you think that the way you feel about this topic challenges the way you regard yourself , or if you want to learn more about yourself  and how you present yourself to the world, sign up for my 40 page Ebook, FOUR QUESTIONS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

It’s free and I’ll send you more free information periodically.

I’m with you.

Frank Daley daleyfrank0@gmail.com 647-205-5059 356 Westridge Drive , Waterloo, Ontario, Canada