Women expect less from their careers than ever before. Here’s how we change that

This edition of Working Together is part of LinkedIn’s #ConversationsForChange initiative for International Women’s Day. Follow our comprehensive coverage here.

The pandemic has turned back the clock on centuries of progress for women at work. To avoid the worst-case scenario, leaders across industries will need to think intentionally about supporting women in new ways. 

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing hardships, tensions and biases against women. At the height of the crisis, women in the U.S. lost more jobs than men, a first in a series of American recessions that largely impacted men more. And those that continued to work were more likely to hold essential positions where they were susceptible to contracting the virus. Meanwhile, women who were permitted to work from home through the pandemic saw their share of unpaid labor — household chores and childcare responsibilities — skyrocket, making it challenging for them to focus fully on work. 

Despite the time that has passed, a new survey of 1,000 female working professionals by LinkedIn shows that women continue to struggle. More than one-third of working women said their career is on pause at the moment. What’s more, 60% of working women feel like they’re underperforming in different areas of their life as a result of the pandemic.

“The pressure over the last nine months has been tremendous,” said Carrie Christos, a former marketing manager at Anthem. “I have been the primary breadwinner for 15 years. Loyal, talented, hard working women are not being seen or valued. I gave it my all … while I was working from home all summer, only to be laid off in October.” 

The stress on millions of working women across the country like Christos has weighed heavily on female leaders. Betty Liu, chairman and CEO at D and Z Media Acquisition Corp, has watched how the pandemic has impacted women from many perspectives. As a former journalist, she saw just how devastating the crisis was for women. As a mother, she experienced firsthand the challenges of starting a company while caring for kids. And as an employer, she had to deal with the pressures of keeping her business afloat during this time. 

“Women carry the load much more. They're given a double burden from working from home,” she said. “We need to invest more in upskilling our workforce … particularly for women, who've been hard hit. Some of the jobs that have been lost might not ever come back.” 

Liu joined me and writer, actress and producer Issa Rae for a candid discussion on a path forward for working women during this challenging time. Rae — who spent much of the pandemic shooting her HBO series Insecure — said this crisis taught her that she tends to overextend herself. It made her pause and reevaluate her working style. But, with so many people counting on her show for employment, Rae tried to get back on set as quickly as possible. 

“A lot of crew members were chomping at the bit to work. No one wants to be unemployed or uncertain for an extended amount of time,” she said. 

As employers and working women, Liu and Rae both tried to create environments where women could speak openly about how they were feeling during this challenging time. Some 42% of working women surveyed by LinkedIn have considered quitting their job prior to, or as a result of, the pandemic. 

Their number one reason for leaving work? To prioritize their mental health. 

“I found that, for several women in the workplace, myself included, we've felt afraid to express ourselves out of fear of being reprimanded and out of fear of experiencing pushback in some ways or losing our jobs,” said Rae. “It's so important to create a space where we can be heard without fear of punishment.” 

That fear of retribution is especially pronounced for working mothers. 62% of working moms have lied about or downplayed their stress around balancing kids and work during the pandemic. And more than a third say they have experienced backlash, negativity or reprimanding at work as a result of interruptions or conflicts due to parenting responsibilities. As a working mother, Liu said she tried to model a viewpoint of “zero guilt:” When she is working, she is 100% focused on that, and when she is with her family all her attention is there. 

“When you're focused on your family, work takes a back seat. And I've told my team they should practice the same thing,” she said.

As women of color, Rae and Liu also both worked through the pandemic amid the wave of protests against systemic racism across the country and an unsettling uptick of crimes against Asian Americans. For both women, allyship at work is an essential part of the solution. Only one-quarter of working women surveyed say their female colleagues have asked them how they’re doing, and even fewer say their male colleagues have asked the same thing.

If anything is going to change, it just can’t be the women of color speaking up, noted Rae.

“There's only so much that we, the victims of systemic racism, can do to change minds,” she said. “It can't just fall on us, and it touches on issues with parity with white women. It's important for white women to talk to other white women, for white men to also talk to others too, to help make that change. Because it can't just be up to us.” 

Now I want to hear from you: How can we support women more holistically in the workplace moving into 2021? Let me know your thoughts below using #IWD2021 #ConversationsForChange.