Is your business guilty of maleism?

For decades, the great workplace prejudice was ageism. Too old. Too slow. Too expensive. Entire careers were parked with that one label. But a stranger bias is emerging, one nobody wants to name: maleism. It’s the quiet inversion of gender bias and proof that even prejudice has its turn at the pendulum swing.

From younger men disengaging from university and the workforce to those mid-career men reporting anti-male discrimination, there’s a subtle crisis in male confidence. It’s not nostalgia for the old hierarchies. And I’m not referring to misandry. It’s recognising that ignoring men’s erosion in contribution and belonging in the workplace is as shortsighted as ignoring women’s once was.  As a workplace expert and someone who proudly supports women, having written a book on ‘our’ earning gap, and wears a ‘we should all be feminists’ t-shirt, I think I am well placed to offer a balanced perspective on our next great shift in the future of work and equality.

The tide has shifted

For generations, women rightly fought against discrimination and systems that confined and diminished opportunity. Now, men now find themselves bearing the sting of bias. It may be difficult to accept, and for some, even harder to sympathise with. But the turn in societal dynamics should not be seen as reparation for past privilege. The principle has always been equality, fairness, and respect. And that applies to men too.

The hidden heresy

The maleism prejudice is what no one wants to admit or speak of. In today’s world, it feels uncomfortable and somehow forbidden. Yet, in guarded conversations, it comes out, not to spark commiseration or change. It’s a way of sharing the stigma and shame. Much like gender bias experienced by women, we were (and still are) conditioned. Conditioned by society, family, and peers of what ‘should be’. It’s the same for those males coming through our new world systems, structures and cultures.  Blindly trying to find their way in a maelstrom of bruised egos, dulled self-esteem and within indifferent and some unforgiving environments. If it’s not subtle conditioning, others go so far as to say it’s asymmetric conscious bias.

When inclusion excludes

It’s the elephant in the room. Despite popular thought, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives were never intended to embrace all. They were implemented to improve work conditions and career outcomes for disadvantaged groups. These groups face challenges that are perpetuated by social structures and discriminatory practices, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and lower aspirations. Often these DEI programs struggle to achieve sustainable change. And in the process, ironically, establish new institutional frameworks and exclusionary practices. Despite the best of intentions, other sectors of the workforce feel neglected and forgotten.

Just like female gender bias, male gender bias takes its form by treating employees differently. As our working environment has moved toward automation and globalisation, many men have struggled to adapt to changing labor markets and educational settings. Yet far fewer resources are directed toward addressing those challenges. Or not hiring them because of their sex. Prime-age men’s employment continues to lag despite a ‘huge number of job openings’.  Now, rooted in declining educational paths, economic instability and cultural expectations, our new order is dangerously reshaping how men engage with work and society. This is not to say, though, that men are victims.

Men, the co-creators

Men are not bystanders in this shift. For decades, men were the champions of meritocracy, being declared as the best candidates on offer. Meritocracy has changed its terms. Soft skills are now the markers of leadership. For the first time in modern memory, men are falling behind, not in brute strength or bravado, but in the qualities that the twenty-first century prizes most: adaptability, the secret sauce of leadership, empathy, communication and collaboration. Research shows men lag women in these power skills by 25-35%.

Today, women earn nearly 60 per cent of bachelor’s degrees. Men are enrolling in fewer programs, completing fewer courses, and arriving in workplaces that are already behind. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows male participation in the workforce has edged downward, while female participation has climbed. This isn’t a conspiracy. It’s about a skill set, the one the future demands, that men are resisting or missing.

Maleism is not just a quiet oppression. It’s an erosion of confidence, education and relevance in a workplace that no longer rewards stoicism and rigidity. The men who thrive today are the ones who’ve unlearned old guarantees, who’ve admitted vulnerability, who’ve dared to reskill at midlife or take feedback without bristling.

Leaders can’t afford to ignore this. Maleism may sound like satire, but it’s a signal for men and greater society. The downward slide began in the late 1970s. But today, the data is clear: we’re at a tipping point. Call it maleism if you like. The risk isn’t in naming it, but in ignoring it.

Want more? Get our newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! Follow Business Builders on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.