Female employees are sometimes severely burdened in the workplace. Workloads, as well as emotions, are components of this. The workforce is composed of women of different racial backgrounds. However, this has increased the duties of women who work outside the house as well as those who work professionally. These dual responsibilities can increase stress, endanger physical and mental well-being, and lead to burnout and decreased productivity at work.
Women also have experienced greater inequality and stress as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Women may also be homeschooling their children, caring for parents or loved ones. Furthermore, women who are unable to work due to their increased responsibilities face significant financial implications.
Employers should work to improve workplace structures and policies so that women may contribute more effectively. Working women are encouraged to recognize that the idea of the perfect work-life is impossible. Instead, consider a job as one of many life tasks that you juggle alongside other responsibilities. Throughout the year and your life, each role may require more effort and time than others. To share the load, seek assistance from others at work and in your personal life. Prioritizing your responsibilities can help you figure out how to best manage your time across all of your commitments.
Finding The Perfect Work-Life Integration
While we've learned a lot in the last few months of the pandemic, one of the most important lessons we've learned is how productive women can be "from home." According to a recent PWC survey, 83 % stated the change to remote work has been effective for their organization.
Juggling work, children, and domestic obligations from our home offices may be difficult, to say the least. However, minimizing commutes, removing the need for childcare, saving money on transportation and dry cleaning, and increasing convenience and flexibility allow us to work better and smarter, and may just help us achieve the holy grail of working women that elusive work life integration.
More and more women are looking for ways to work from home. According to a FlexJobs survey, 58% of employees who worked remotely in the previous year indicated they'd look for a new job if they weren't allowed to continue working from home after the pandemic.
Women Are Still Absent At Work
While businesses are recognizing the advantages of working from home, bringing women back to pre-pandemic levels of employment is proving challenging. While businesses are recognizing the advantages of working from home, bringing women back to pre-pandemic levels of employment is proving challenging.
The bleak jobs report released earlier this month highlighted the persistent hardship of American workers, particularly women. In April, 5.6% of women reported being unemployed (up from 3.1% before the pandemic), and 1.5 million fewer moms of school-aged children were employed in March than in February 2020. Women also face extra barriers to employment, such as pay inequities between men and women, at-home study, and expensive or difficult to find childcare.
This strengthens the case for working from home. Fortunately, the pandemic has resulted in new opportunities for women to work from home. The pandemic has resulted in increased demand in certain industries that favor women and lend themselves to work from home. For online customer service, virtual call centers like Liveops, for example, look for empathic, knowledgeable employees.
And women are filling such roles in greater numbers than ever before. In 2020, the number of women in LiveOps' workforce increased by 12%, and nearly three-quarters of their agents are now female. This strengthens the case for working from home. But the pandemic has resulted in new opportunities for women to work from home.
“I was relieved to find a job and be able to work from home during Covid,” said Susan Clatterbaugh, who learned about Liveops from a friend. Clatterbaugh is not technically an employee of Liveops, but rather an independent agent who provides customer support from the convenience and comfort of her own home. Clatterbaugh chooses her shifts in 30-minute increments and has complete discretion over when and how long she works.
Let Women Get Back In The Game
Clatterbaugh and Harris were fortunate to have worked at the time of the pandemic. Millions of women, however, who had been laid off or dismissed as a result of the pandemic, were not.
Returnships, which are given by some of the largest and most well-known organizations, such as Amazon, Goldman Sachs, and Merck, provide virtual, paid internships to women who have been out of labor for some time. These programs allow women to update their abilities while still providing opportunities for full-time employment. Sites like irelaunch.com and pathforward.org are helpful since they provide women with up-to-date returnship opportunities.
Juggling family, house, and job is difficult for women like Harris. "I wouldn't be able to do it all if I had to go into an office from 9 to 5," she explained. If there's one thing Covid-19 has taught us, it's that. Companies of all shapes and sizes have been forced to think outside the box, break free from established standards, and develop innovative strategies to attract and retain female talent as a result of the pandemic.
Shellye is committed to helping people from diverse backgrounds achieve their careers and life aspirations. The content published above was made in collaboration with our members.
Shellye Archambeau is determined to help you with all possible strategies to climb the ladder of success. She values your feedback. Do mention them in the comment section below.