While perhaps not a perfect execution, Covid normalized work-from-home at cataclysmic levels. The speed and weight of change caused some women to nearly buckle under the pressure. Seven out of ten women stated that they experienced undesirable shifts in their daily routine based on the pandemic that caused their career progression to slow down. A survey of close to 400 working women across nine countries in different industries and seniority levels confirmed the pandemic is affecting their careers as well as their mental health. (Deloitte, Sept. 2020)

Women were disproportionately responsible for being homeschool teachers while maintaining

respectable levels of productivity. As a new school year approaches and many students return to campus, parents may have had time to refine their household routines and ways of working to more effectively manage remote work.

After a year from hell, professionals may have a new sense of personal resilience coupled with a newfound autonomy over how work gets done.

The juggle to balance childcare and after-school arrangements would significantly stress parents, whether single or partnered. The Covid-19 dilemma has caused the childcare sector to deconstruct in a way that has forced 4.5 million childcare slots to permanently disappear. This caused women and, to a lesser degree, men to adjust or change careers because of scheduling conflicts with professional life and care for their children.

It appears that the awareness of the responsibilities of working women became fully realized when structures and schedules changed dramatically. Maybe, just maybe, that is why some employees are reluctant to go back to the office. It could also be why we have lost 1.6 million women in the workforce due to the pandemic, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Plan for Progress

The comfortable aesthetics of remote work is that women could create environments that allowed flexibility and freedom to wear the many necessary hats to embody stellar performance. This environment caused bosses and managers, senior leaders, and supervisors to trust the integrity of their employees because we faced an uncertain crisis that allowed for nothing less. As Covid is still strange yet becoming more of the norm, we must continue this pursuit to progress and make women aware of their value even during uncertain times.

How can we prepare the workplace for women to transition back to the office with an embrace of ease, comfort, and respect?

As companies return on-site, and some consider continuing a hybrid or entirely virtual plan, the sensitivity to all adjustments and emotional concerns will be essential. This is an excellent time for employers to bring empathy to the forefront of an already concerned environment. Are you allowing your employees an opportunity to share their concerns about balancing their families and your business? We must be careful not to assume that women, although highly concerned about their home lives, are not just as committed to their work responsibilities. Empathy will confirm what we have learned from this crisis and how it pulls us all in different directions at any given moment. It will be critical for leaders to take extra time to ask open-ended questions and listen to how team members are managing their day-to-day responsibilities with school resuming. If this feels like you are being pulled to go the extra mile, bravo. We should all feel as though we are going above and beyond now more than ever as we check on the emotional adjustment of our employees, especially those who are carrying extra weight during this season, which appears to be mothers and primary caregivers.

Retention of women employees will require awareness. McKinsey and Oxford Economics have found that the departure of women from the workplace has created a gap that may not return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024. This is two years after the recovery for men in the workforce. This confirms why it is important that we acknowledge the need for flexibility. If you notice a downward spiral with motivation, production, or quality of work, do not process it in a vacuum. Intentionally engage employees to understand the sentiment behind critical data indicators like turnover and recruiting time-to-fill. Take note that these concerns will need to be addressed across various employment sectors throughout the US and beyond as we continue to navigate through the new adjustments Covid-19 demands. Consider added value services you can offer to help your employees better deal with the transition back into the office or the continual balance required to work remotely.

As you remain sensitive and aware, what measures can be implemented before valuable employees feel they have to make drastic decisions to sustain their families?

In 2019, The Harvard Business Review reported members of the majority often underestimate the daily biases that diverse groups of employees face in their employment experience. Half of those employees surveyed did not believe that promotions and stretch assignments are free from biased processes. Within these diverse groups, women reported feeling slighted with promotion opportunities because there is not a viable path for those who must be responsible for balancing career and family. You can imagine how this feeling has intensified in 2021.

Staying abreast of cultural changes driven by this global health crisis will call for domestic responsibility-based biases to be eradicated from our organizational structures. Those who must balance family and career need to feel included in everything from promotional advancement to time-off policies inclusive of the changing climate Covid has caused. Our firm strongly believes that inclusivity will require initiative and implementation. Consider how you are maximizing the assets you have in versatile employees who have proven their ability to thrive in stressful situations in multi-faceted capacities and roles.

Sources:

Deloitte Global research highlights the impact of Covid-19 on working women and how employers can prevent a setback in achieving gender parity. www.deloitte.com. Accessed 8/8/2021.

How Covid Sent Women’s Workforce Progress Backward-Center for American Progress. www.americanprogress.org. Accessed 8/10/2021



Krentz, Matt. Survey: What Diversity and Inclusion Policies Do Employees Actually Want? Harvard Business Review. 2019. Accessed 8/10/2021