Deloitte Woman @Work 2024 Global outlook is out, shedding light on the challenges and workplace dynamics affecting women today. Sharing my key takeaways:
Career Progression:
· Many women aspire to senior leadership roles, but barriers such as company hashtag#culture and pay disparities deter a 1/4 of them. Key reasons include dissatisfaction with culture (23%), concerns about unequal pay (21%), and doubts about advancement opportunities (20%)
· Poor work/life balance, lack of flexibility and inadequate pay are driving women to leave their employers with most only planning to stay with their employer for around 2.5 years
· About 1/3 of women who plan to leave their jobs, plan to pursue new hashtag#careers or start their own businesses
Workplace Well-being:
· hashtag#Burnout continues to decline, but rising hashtag#stress levels and workplace mental health stigma persist
· Concerns about adverse career impacts, discrimination or retaliation stop women from disclosing when taking time off for mental health reasons
· Women are struggling to disconnect from work, and the ones who regularly work more than their contracted hours have worse mental and physical well-being
· More than a ¼ of women experience challenges related to periods, hashtag#menopause, or fertility, yet many feel unable to take time off or seek support
Domestic Responsibilities:
· Women still hold the biggest responsibility for household tasks and increasingly, care of other adults – even if they’re the primary earner
· Women with more domestic responsibilities have lower mental well-being – and are less able to focus on their careers.
Other takeaways:
· Women who work for a Gender Equality Leader show greater loyalty, productivity and motivation. They feel safer, can discuss mental health openly and trust flexible work won’t harm their career.
· Nearly half of women say they are worried about their hashtag#safety when at work or when traveling to or for work.
These findings highlight the ongoing challenges women face at work, emphasising the need for inclusive workplaces.
It’s crucial for organisations to implement retention strategies and gender equality initiatives to support work/life balance and enhance productivity.
Are you surprised by the findings? Do these findings resonate with your own experiences or observations. Do you feel these challenges reflect the reality for women in your workplace?
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