Women And Their Post-Pandemic Workspace Challenges

There is no denying that the Covid-19 pandemic changed the face of the world as we know it. From our professional lives to our personal ones, nothing was left untouched. The world is still recovering from the devastating effects of the coronavirus. We are still figuring out how to manage our lives and move ahead with it. The pandemic has affected female employees the most. Many were laid off from their jobs.?

As many as 114 million people lost their jobs across the globe in the year 2020. Out of these? 5% of women? compared to 3.9% of men. The lack of gender equality in workspaces and the mistreatment of women didn’t come as a surprise but it was still quite devastating. Many women have been able to fight back and found their way back into workspaces.

According to a Deloitte research, 51% of women feel less positive about their future career prospects while 77% said? their job workload has increased as a result of the pandemic. It was also reported that 57% of women planned to leave their current position within the next two years.?

Struggles Of Women Returning To Office??

Childcare has been topping the list of struggles for women returning to office. They are struggling to fully balance the job and kids as many childcare facilities are still closed along with schools.? 66% of women say they are usually the one burdened with household chores. More than half of working women with children say they are raising and pulling the weight of most of the childcare responsibilities. Women who take care of people other than their children, for example older parents, feel the same burden. The situation gets worse for single mothers. According to the research paper by Deloitte 45% of women who changed their working hours due to care responsibilities say their relationship with their employer has been negatively impacted.?

Another problem is hybrid working, many women have voiced their concerns about it. Many employers have given their employees the option to choose whether they want to work from home or return to the office. Majority of women have requested for work from home but they are worried that this might harm their career. As more men can afford to actually come to work and have better relationships with the managers and higher ups. This might potentially result in fewer promotions or pay rises given to women and others who choose to work from home.?

The Covid-19 outbreak has served as a great indication of the frequently overlooked structural mistreatment women face in the workspace. It has also reminded us to stress on the broader bedded societal morals, especially in relation to childcare and household responsibilities that continue to be ever present in marriages and how they affect the progression of women. It is crucial for governments and employers to honour and respond to these issues. This pandemic can be an agent and accelerator of change for women in workplaces. It is a call for action and it is about time we pick it up and answer.?