Supporting Women In The Workplace

Here are a few important enhancements you can make

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a detrimental effect on the centuries long fight for women to be treated equally in the workplace. A newly released “Women in the Workplace” report suggests one in four women are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce entirely due to burnout. Respondents attribute this shift to the pure exhaustion they are facing from juggling work and caring for children and relatives during Covid. As a mother to two young children, I know the struggle is real! 

Instead of trying to work with employees facing these challenges, many companies have opted to ignore their employees’ needs and keep policies as is. That is a real shame. Because I am here to tell you, with a few key considerations, employers can minimize this contraction of women in the workplace and be on the right side of history —evolving and updating policies to advocate for and elevate women.

Women are crucial contributors at every level of our organization and we don’t want to lose any of them! So as a company, we are doing everything we can to shift our programs and policies to accommodate women in this evolving workforce. 

Here are a few important enhancements you can make to support women in the workplace:  

We all need a safe place to address concerns and share experiences — especially during this difficult time. Companies need to promote groups where women can come together to feel a sense of belonging and understanding amongst their peers and co-workers. 

We have many women-focused employee network groups — including one that supports parents working from home and a professional and personal support group. Members of these groups have an added sense of belonging in the office and feel supported outside of it. 

Houses aren’t just houses anymore — they’re schools, rec centers, offices, and sometimes urgent care centers. Leaders need to understand that women, especially if they are homeschooling children, taking care of relatives, or caring for the sick, need more flexible hours to accommodate their at-home needs. 

We trust that a good employee will find the time to get their work done — it just may not always be during traditional work hours. Women may need to work early in the morning or late at night when there’s less going on in their home and they have more time to concentrate and commit themselves to their work. Leaders and employees should work together to find a flexible schedule that works for both sides. 

As with all things at a company, getting executive buy-in is key. However, a quick message from the CEO and executives is not enough. Employees (especially the female workforce) need to hear an ongoing drumbeat of support, so the message continues to resonate and give them the confidence and motivation to stay with the employer.

We want our people to know they are not on an island and employees across the company are facing similar life interruptions. We regularly share articles highlighting CHG parents and how they approach work-life balance. We ask parents directly if they need to change their work schedule to accommodate their child’s schooling. We say hi to children when they make an appearance on a virtual meeting. Leaders ask their people how they are coping and if there they need to adjust their hours or meetings to support their at-home needs. We have embraced the idea that women can work from home, take care of their kids, and still get a promotion. What a novel idea!

In December 2019, women held more U.S. jobs than men — just like they had for nearly a decade. Today it’s a much different picture for women in the workforce. Let us all do our part to ensure the strides women have made in the workplace are not erased because of this virus. The U.S. workforce is more powerful with women in it.