She didn’t tell anyone she was pregnant until she had what appeared to be a watermelon under her dress. She returned from maternity leave to find her accounts ransacked, and because there was not much of a job left for her, she quit. When I anticipated the same happening to me with the birth of my first child, I got ready. I made myself as irreplaceable to my accounts as possible. I made promises to clients that I was coming back in a short amount of time and I did. I only lost two small accounts. I paid attention as other banks were accused of this same practice along with the harassment-as-usual environment. I watched lawsuits filed against Smith Barney and their “boom-boom room,” watched as a Citibank boss was accused of noting which women “liked to blow.” When Nomura was sued after their traders apparently told female colleagues they belonged at home cleaning, I was sure something would come of it. The lawsuit was thrown out. Then a British bank, HBOS, was sued with X-rated details that I was sure would sound scarily familiar to Feagin Dixon and force a change, but again the suit was thrown out.
