As leader of Charter’s Employment Law Group, Manley has a unique perspective on the legal aspects of HR issues—including the impact of the #MeToo movement. “While we ensure practices and education of employees, what sets the tone is that senior executives readily inquire about our efforts to prevent sexual harassment,” she says. “As a result, the stigma that might otherwise be associated with a complaint of sexual harassment has diminished.”
How can the industry do a better job of recruiting women and ensuring they have a path to senior positions?
The industry can do a better job of recruiting women and providing opportunities for them to advance to the most senior positions by evaluating their skills, talent, aptitude and competence in the identical way they do their male counterparts. Factors that do not bear directly on these key criteria should never be a part of the equation. I am not suggesting that gender be ignored or that applications should be gender neutral. To the contrary, I am suggesting that the industry make a bold and conscious decision to elevate qualified women.
What advice would you give your 13-year-old self?
If I had the chance, I’d tell my 13-year-old self to be fearless and confident, to boldly tackle whatever challenge lay ahead. I’d tell my 13-year-old self that failure isn’t necessarily an obstacle to be avoided because it just might be the best damn lesson of her life. I’d tell my 13-year-old self to ignore the self-doubts and to forge ahead despite the naysayers. I would inform my 13-year-old self that graciousness, gratefulness, and grit are attributes to live by. Finally, I’d tell my 13-year-old self that women can be beautiful, capable, and intellectual all at once.
What changes, if any, has your company enacted since the dawning of the #MeToo movement, and what results have ensued?
At Charter, there is a sensitivity and openness to an honest dialogue about the reality of sexual harassment and other forms of gender discrimination. While we ensure practices and education of employees, what sets the tone is that senior executives readily inquire about our efforts to prevent sexual harassment. As a result, the stigma that might otherwise be associated with a complaint of sexual harassment has diminished.
