Woman Sparks Debate With Response to Potential Employer's Supposed Sexism

A Reddit post published on the popular forum "Antiwork" stirred a debate among commenters when they saw a screenshot that reportedly showed a response an applicant sent to an employer after she was informed they went with two other applicants who were "more qualified."

The post amassed nearly 9,000 interactions since it was published by u/Exciting-Salary-2480 on Wednesday.

It showed an email exchange between the applicant and the employer in which the applicant was informed the manager was preparing to extend a job offer to two other candidates that met the qualifications. The applicant asked how they were more qualified aside from being men.

In the United States, it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an individual based on sex, race, color, religion or national origin under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, per the Equal Rights Advocates.

The organization also noted that a ruling passed by the Supreme Court in 2020 extended the protection to cover gender identity and sexual orientation.

"It is also illegal for employers of 15 or more people to use any of the above categories as a basis for paying you less, firing, not hiring, or discriminating against you in terms of working conditions or 'privileges of employment,'" the Equal Rights Advocates said.

The email exchange shown in u/Exciting-Salary-2480's post included a message that is presumably from the employer who said they heard from the manager.

"He already hired one candidate and is getting ready to offer to a second one who is more qualified for the position," they wrote.

The applicant replied and listed the job requirements.

"In which capacity are the selected candidates 'more qualified' for this position, besides being male," the message read.

The job requirements that were listed under the question included having the ability to lift 50 pounds, while experience with washing and detailing semi trucks is a plus but not a requirement.

The insinuation of the applicant being rejected for the job based on gender left some Reddit users feeling doubtful.

"There could be dozens of answers," a Reddit user wrote. "Maybe they are better culture fits. Or came with a recommendation."

Some suggested they were more qualified.

"I mean not discounting [Original Poster] but perhaps the hiring manager had a more fluid interview with other candidates," one Reddit user said. "Soft skills matter too and those can be somewhat intangible. Perhaps the other candidates are women as well?"

"From the information given: You don't know their experience level. You don't know they're male," another Redditor commented.

Others, however, empathized with the applicant.

"Exact reason I only put my first initial on my resume," a Reddit user said. "It's embarrassing (for them) how many interviews don't get beyond 'Oh, I didn't know you were a woman.'"

Another said they go by a gender-neutral nickname for their otherwise "feminine" given name.

"I RELISH the look of shock and panic I get constantly when I walk in," they wrote. "Also stopped correcting people assuming I'm a man over email and just wait till I meet them and drink it all in then."

"If you're a qualified woman in a male dominated field, and you get passed up for jobs or promotions, it's not a total reach that it may be [because] some higher ups prefer a boys club or worry that a woman wouldn't be able to keep up," one Reddit user said.

Newsweek reached out to u/Exciting-Salary-2480 for comment.

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