The COVID-19 had a significant impact on women, especially mothers who need to balance their work, home, and managing their kids. Rhiannon Staples, CMO, Hibob, discusses why flexibility matters to female employees and how companies can take a more active role in supporting them.
There’s no question that the last year threw a long list of challenges at working women. From the overnight switch to remote work, managing childcare, to trying to realign work/life balance, one thing has become clear: we couldn’t have done it all without flexibility. In fact, in a recent Hibob survey, we found that 95% of respondents agreed that flexibility is emerging as the new gold standard to help promote women to management positions. Why does flexibility have such a big impact on women, and how else should companies take a more active role in supporting women?
Empower Women With Flexibility
For years, forward-thinking companies have talked about how the future of work is remote and flexible. The pandemic forced the entire world of work into that future in a matter of weeks, and we’re seeing both employees and businesses reap the benefits. On top of encouraging a healthier work/life balance, flexible work hours allow women the option to build their schedules around caring for their families, whether that’s children, aging parents, or anyone else. It also signals to employees that the company, HR, and managers trust their people. This has become so important that many women who are not mothers are unwilling to apply for jobs that don’t have good maternity leave and flexibility options.
How can companies allow women to set their hours and work the way they want to? Instead of focusing on the specific hours an employee spends plugged in, measure performance based on quality and output. As long as employees achieve results, work from home, hybrid work, and work from the office, options should be an undiscussed new normal. Additionally, companies can start recording meetings via Zoom, so if, for example, a parent needs to pick up a child from school, she can hear about the Q2 product roadmap later on.
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Flexibility doesn’t just mean the hours an employee works. It also encompasses using vacation days, paid time off (PTO), and sick days. Our recent Hibob survey found that female employees were less likely to use their PTO than their male counterparts during the pandemic, which can lead to major burnout and take a toll on mental health. To encourage women to use their PTO, 79% of companies who responded to the survey said they’re encouraging female employees to take PTO by actively communicating with and encouraging them to take time off. About 15% said they were giving female employees additional time off for self-care.
Build a Culture That Supports Gender Equality in Management
A company’s culture must support initiatives to create gender equality in management positions. About 94% of companies responded in the survey that their company culture supports the flexibility of hybrid work to build a company culture that encourages female promotion to management roles. This flexibility allows women the option to carve out more accommodating work hours if they need to help care for their children, parents, or relatives.
Allowing flexibility can also take some of the burden off employees. For example, women may feel guiltier if they constantly have to ask their managers to work from home or take a few hours off to handle care for family members or children. Again, a culture of flexible work models comes into play by removing the need to constantly ask for permission and feel like they owe their manager or team a favor. This is where people management tech is crucial. For example, having a cross-company dashboard or homepage where everyone can see who is working remotely, who is in the office, out sick, or taking PTO allows for transparency. It can more easily show who may be out of the office during different parts of the day.
Monitor and Resolve Gender Pay Gaps
While giving female employees more flexible work options can help promote them to the C-suite, other active measures need to be taken to ensure women are compensated equitably. About 38% of survey respondents said that they regularly monitor their people data to identify gender pay gaps. Companies with HR tech can do this more easily and eliminate the option for unrecognized gender pay bias. For example, Hibob has pay gap KPIs built into its technology to help companies track and visualize the difference between average pay for men and women in their organization. It is important for HR and managers to constantly audit their employee salaries based on gender to ensure they are not averaging higher salaries to males.
Monitoring the gender pay gap doesn’t begin after you hire, though. More companies need to be flexible in their job postings and disclose salary information. This doesn’t need to be an exact number. Instead, companies can post an expected salary range and then benchmark once they have the candidate’s credentials and background. This way, instead of basing salaries on instinct or what “feels acceptable,†they are based on skills and experience.
Look Beyond Childcare Support for Working Mothers
Past surveys from Hibob have shown that many mothers with children experienced additional hardships during the pandemic because schools were closed and families were under lockdown. Women experienced a disproportionate amount of child care during the pandemic as kids were unable to socialize with friends and the burden fell on mothers to step in and become teachers, friends, coaches, lunch chefs, and so much more.
Companies should lead with empathy. Today, many women are afraid to tell HR or their managers that they are mothers, as they think it will set them back in their careers. Employers and managers need to understand that oftentimes women can’t separate between work and personal life. Managers need to understand that, naturally, personal lives will sometimes get in the way of work. When interviewing candidates, let them know it is okay to check on their kid for a minute and come back to the conversation. Work is important, but life happens. Give women, and all employees, enough space for both.
To do this, companies should consider allowing mothers more time with their children. Only 24% of companies surveyed said they allowed their working moms admin leave to care for their children fully. This pandemic has shown us that caring for children should not be built to accommodate a women’s 9-5, but rather their structured work hours should be built to accommodate the family, so mothers do not have to sacrifice or ration time.
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Working Women Aren’t Going Anywhere
The pandemic proved that flexibility in when and where women work does not harm productivity and, in many cases, allows women to create a better work/life balance and feel more agile. However, flexibility alone will not ensure women make their way up the corporate ladder. To support women in their career aspirations, the way companies approach their culture, gender pay gap issues, and work styles must evolve. By creating a culture that leads with empathy, thinks beyond childcare, and takes a serious look at gender pay gaps, women will feel supported and empowered in their careers.