Me too excesses make male executives less likely to invite female colleagues on trips, to evening networking events or into their inner circles. People respond to incentives. If Me Too means that a man’s career and reputation can be ruined by an unfounded allegation of sexual harassment this creates obvious incentives for male supervisors to never be alone with female subordinates.The reality is executives have to make decisions which disappoint ambitious subordinates. Virtually every promotion leaves an unhappy someone thinking “It should have been me” and possibly seeing, or imagining, sex-based reasons for their disappointment.
As a faculty member for 30 years, my office door was never closed when a student of either gender was in my office. I know this openness made some students uncomfortable, but it was unavoidable.
Vice President Mike Pence starts to look like the smartest guy in town. If his “never alone with a woman other than my wife” policy becomes the standard way to go, women’s careers will unavoidably suffer.
However, let’s be clear. Nothing written above in any way excuses or makes light of sexual predators of any gender.
