How Returning to the Office is Affecting Women?

Getting women back to work won’t be easy for companies and organizations. To do so, employers must reinvent the workplace to be a more supportive environment where employees of every gender and race can thrive.

Some of the things that can make a difference on every employee, especially on women, include:

• Meaningful work with realistic goals – Some of the reasons why women stay with their organization is having an enjoyable job that fits with other areas of their lives. Moreover, women prefer a meaningful career with reasonable goals, deadlines, and realistic productivity and performance expectations.
• Increased workplace flexibility – The pandemic has shown that a clear distinction between work and life is almost impossible to achieve. Therefore, employees should have the option to set their own rules and boundaries and choose when, where, and how they work.
• Reduced gender bias – Organizations and managers, in particular, should take steps to minimize the existing gender gaps and those enforced by the pandemic. First, the issue must be recognized – both employees and employers should be aware of the biases and nurture an environment where they can communicate openly. Only then can biases be addressed and solved accordingly.
• Policies and programs to support employees – One way of solving these issues is by offering benefits, extended policies, and programs to employees. Employees should be familiar with their company’s benefits and utilize them to address their challenges. Also, companies should create equal opportunities for promotions, raises, and development for all employees, regardless the gender.

Supporting the women in the workforce should be a continuous effort made throughout the year, not only in times of crisis such as a global pandemic. Elice Max, the Co-Owner of EMUCoupon, agreed with this: 

“The pandemic sent most of our workforce home. During this time, some of my employees took a liking to the remote work option. I realize that I cannot simply ask women to return to the office and go back to their pre-pandemic schedules.  

This is one of the reasons we are providing flexible schedules to women who might be looking after kids or have other household responsibilities. We have included the option for remote working days and hours during the week. The company’s HR department has been assigned to carefully listen to the concern of our women employees and offer them practical solutions.  

As a women entrepreneur, I know we face more hurdles than our male counterparts. We are currently exploring even more ways to support our female staff,” she concluded.