This Company Is Looking For A Receptionist But It Has To Be A Woman

Obviously, a job posting needs to include a list of required skills, but since when did being female make you more qualified to be a receptionist? A Toronto-based web firm seems to think that men aren't capable of answering phones: Vestra Inet posted a job advertisement on LinkedIn two weeks ago, for a "content writer and SEO specialist." The final requirement for the job raised more than a few eyebrows.

"Please note that the position requires filling in the responsibilities of a receptionist, so female candidates are preferred.”

Yes, that's a real job advertisement, from a real company, in 2015. Not 1950.

Since the post went up, Vestra Inet's LinkedIn profile page has been filled with comments calling the post "offensive," "absurd," and "completely illegal." People tweeted that this posting is why we need feminism. Someone on Twitter joked that "We traveled back in time to 1950! Oh…wait, no, that's just a sexist job desc."

The Ontario Human Rights Commission states that it's illegal to discriminate against groups directly or indirectly in job advertisements, according to the Toronto Star. As for Vestra Inet, the company has listed the position as "no longer accepting applications" and did not immediately respond to Refinery29's request for comment.

 

It's no secret that workplace discrimination against women is a very common occurrence that happens in all industries. And surveys have shown that women are often prone to saying "yes" to lowly requests (including office housework). Why? Because no one wants to be labeled a "bitch" or "difficult" for calling someone out for gender bias at work.

Just a few weeks ago, Canada's new Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, made headlines when he appointed a diverse and gender-equal cabinet. His reason for the move was simple: "Because it's 2015." Maybe more employers should catch up with the times.

 

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