Reflections on the impact of Covid-19 on equality
2020 was a year of huge change and the impact of the pandemic dominated our lives in a way that no-one could have predicted. Even once Covid hit Europe and we started to go into lockdowns last March, we couldn’t have known that a year later we would still be juggling so many aspects of our lives from our homes.
I hosted a panel discussion yesterday to mark International Women’s Day and to reflect on the impact of Covid-19 on gender equality. One of the great things about Arriva is our geographical reach so I was delighted that 70 people gave up their time to join and it was fascinating hearing from diverse nationalities and cultures about their experiences over the last year.
What was clear to me was that while we were all in the same storm, we are not in the same boat. The personal experiences, challenges and responses from both men and women have been incredibly individual and varied. Everyone has felt the impact and had to adapt in their own way. Any pre-conceived gender stereotypes were challenged and people pulled together to find a way through.
Many women on the call spoke out about how they’ve strived too hard for perfection. Full time working life has been juggled with parenthood, home-schooling, cleaning, cooking, dog walking, food shopping and in some cases, ill-health or family tragedy. The constant interruptions and switching between roles has been stressful for sure, but more damaging is the pressure we put on ourselves. This level of stress is unsustainable and in lots of cases led to positive and much needed change. One colleague said that it forced her to manage work and home responsibilities like she would a project at work, by breaking down time, roles and responsibilities. This led to practical benefits for her and her partner, but most importantly for their children, whose lives have been enriched by having more time carved out with both parents.
We’ve learnt a lot and the opportunity now is to build the good stuff into the next normal, whatever that may be. As a business we have proved we can be nimble and more adaptable than we ever thought possible. We’ve challenged the status-quo, we’ve embraced change and innovation, and we’ve adopted a more flexible approach, shifting from “why” to “why not”.
I’d also like to think we’ve become more tolerant and understanding. One colleague remarked upon the fact that she no longer had to ‘tone down’ her personality and feels less compelled to conform to narrow norms. The insights into our colleagues’ lives, their family, their pets, their bookshelves and even their taste in home-décor has fostered greater insight and empathy, reminding us that above all, we are people first. Equally at home our family, partners and children have seen the people we are at work, the organisational skills, the leadership, the decisiveness, the commitment and of course the juggle! Hopefully we’ve inspired a few colleagues of the future by giving them a window on our work worlds.
For me it’s a been privilege to be a leader in this organisation through the pandemic. I’m incredibly proud of how we’ve responded and how as a company we have looked after our passengers, our workplaces, our families and importantly, each other.
As we look to build back better, we have much to think about. Not everyone will be able to return to the normal patterns of daily commuting into the office. Our passengers will be changing their patterns and as we look to respond to their needs, we will also respond to the needs of our employees. We at Arriva have already done a lot to change our workplaces for the much-awaited return to the office, but we need to do much more and look holistically at the way work gets done best in the future. Indeed, this is now a major part of our on-going planning.
My challenge to myself is about not wasting this opportunity personally or professionally. I want to look back on this time five years hence and see it as a real turning point in how I live my best life, but also how the organisations I interact with value diversity and provide an environment where everyone can thrive. If we all commit to that, then I honestly think at IWD2026 we should have something pretty amazing to celebrate!
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