The sexual harassment scandal roiling workplaces across the country could have the "unintended consequence" of isolating women and holding them back in their careers, according to Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg.
In a Sunday Facebook post, Sandberg wrote, "The percentage of men who will be afraid to be alone with a female colleague has to be sky high right now."
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Posted by Sheryl Sandberg on Sunday, December 3, 2017
But the isolation might cost women the mentorship and sponsorship opportunities they need to succeed — and make existing workplace problems worse, including the disparate rate of promotions and pay, she suggests.
"Doing right by women in the workplace does not just mean treating them with respect," she wrote. "It also means not isolating or ignoring them – and making access equal. . . . the key is to give men and women equal opportunities to succeed."
"So much good is happening to fix workplaces right now," she added. "Let's make sure it does not have the unintended consequence of holding women back."
Sandberg decried leaving women out of important meetings or conversations would be a step in the wrong direction — at a time when women are still struggling to gain a foothold in male-dominated jobs.
"The world has always been run by men, and it still is today," she wrote. "Only 13 countries and 6 percent of Fortune 500 companies are run by women. Just 13 percent of police officers are women, and only a few hundred are police chiefs. And less than 20 percent of the U.S. Congress is female."
Among the more than 250 comments to her post was one from the boss, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
"Thanks for your leadership here," he wrote. "This is so important, and I know the advice to establish clear principles and policies will help improve many organizations."
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