Neil: I'm Neil.
Sam: And I'm Sam.
Neil: Sam, does this situation sound familiar?
It's a colleague's birthday next week.
A male boss says to a female employee –
"You're great at organising things –
would you buy a card and get everyone in the office to sign it?
Oh, and we'll need to order a cake too – thanks, you're amazing!"
Sam: Yes, I have seen that.
A male boss asks a woman to do all the jobs that keep the office running
but do nothing to advance her career or improve her chances of promotion –
that's when someone moves up into a higher, better paid position in a company.
Neil: Sadly, this happens a lot.
In many workplaces around the world,
it's the men who are considered 'born leaders'
and promoted up the corporate career ladder,
while the women are given less important roles.
Even today, many working women find themselves
at a point in their career beyond which they cannot progress,
an invisible barrier to succeed referred to as the glass ceiling.