Job Safety - Bad Area!!!

[perseus1206]

What is the name of your state?PA

My wife works for a company and does store ad sales. She was rookie of the year for the suburban area and recently they had a new district VP come in from out of town. The new VP had signed her territory in a very very bad area where previous male employers have had trouble. She does not want to quit her job and I am affraid something bad might happen to her while she is trying to visit clints in that area. I know and seen her territory...its not a place where you would want a female to be driving around and visiting clients. She has mentioned this to her co-workers and her manager bit nothing has happened yet. My questions are: If something happens to her are they liable and should she document that she has spoken to her Managers about this? All they care is about numbers...no excuses. It is a very large co. Please help me. Thank you.

 

[Beth3]

So you and your wife want her employer to change her territory assignment due to her gender? Um, there are laws that make that illegal. In fact, I imagine that if she were were told she COULDN'T have a particular territory assignment or position because she's female, you'd be posting here hollering about sex discrimination. Conversely, if she were to be excused because of her gender and one of the men assigned the territory, then the male employee would have a claim for sex discrimination.

That said, I do acknowledge (and certainly understand) that there are some locations and situations where being female potentially puts one in greater jeopardy however it's just plain unlawful for the employer to take that into consideration.

If something happens to her, then she's covered by the employer's worker's compensation. That is her sole recourse against the employer. Documenting conversations she's had with managers about her territory assignment is completely irrelevant.

Your wife's options are to stick out this assignment, taking whatever reasonable personal safety precautions she feels are advisable, or seeking employment elsewhere.