Flexible Working Options Are A Key To Alleviating Gender Inequality

BY / MARYANNE LATAIF AEG

Although economic recovery from the global pandemic is in full swing, we continue to see women lag men in the labor market, with nearly one million fewer women in the workplace as of May 2022 than were present in 2020.

While both sexes suffered a drop in labor force participation at the height of the pandemic, men have returned to work at a higher rate than women. The slow return of women to the workforce will not only continue to impact the American economy but will also put women at a disadvantage over the long term.

Adequate childcare in the U.S. remains one of the primary obstacles holding women back from re-entering the workforce. Even before the pandemic, half of the American population were living in communities with no access to childcare facilities, and the pandemic made the situation considerably worse. Between December 2019 and March 2021, nearly 16,000 childcare centers and licensed family childcare programs closed, according to Child Care Aware of America. Those closures were due, in large part, to increased operating costs, thin profit margins, unpredictable attendance because of COVID, and rising costs due to inflation. As a result, a new study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation found that 58% of working parents reported that they were unable to find childcare solutions that met their needs.

Additionally, parents with young children who have access to quality childcare providers are spending more money on childcare than ever before. Based on the 2022 Cost of Care Survey, 72% of parents say they are spending at least 10% of their household income on childcare, with a majority (51%) spending 20% or more. To address these rising costs, one in five of parents indicated that they are considering leaving the workforce entirely. Typically

Maryanne Lataif is senior vice president of corporate communications at AEG, the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. She is a member of the USC Annenberg Center for PR Board of Advisors.

when deciding which parent should stay at home, the common choice is the mother.

For women who are impacted by childcare obstacles, their ability to return to the workforce depends on employer’s providing real solutions. Unfortunately, a recent Catalyst-CNBC survey revealed that 41% of working mothers believed they had to hide their caregiving struggles from their employers.

Following the pandemic, many working moms now know they want their work experience to include having flexible work options. According to the Catalyst-CNBC survey, women with childcare responsibilities who have remote-work access are 32% less likely to report intending to leave their jobs, compared with women with childcare responsibilities who do not have remote-work access.

Flexible remote work can offer working mothers better work life balance and improved mental health by increasing family time, reducing childcare costs, and saving commuting time and stress. Working remotely or adjusting working hours during the day, can also offer benefits to employers. A study conducted by Stanford University Business School found that performance was boosted by 21% when employees were able to work from home. Yet, today 44% of U.S. companies do not allow remote work of any kind, according to a 2021 Owl Labs report. When looking at the monthly job report numbers, it is easy to say we are making progress adding back jobs that were lost two years ago. But today, the gender equality gap is greater than in the past and we are woefully behind in addressing the structural divide that exists between men and women. In 2020 women made up 39% of global employment, they also accounted for 54% of jobs lost during the pandemic.

We cannot afford to let the impact of COVID-19 continue into the postpandemic era, otherwise, we risk reversing decades of progress towards gender equality. To bring women back to the workplace, we need to: • recognize there is no one-size fits all solution for women and give them more autonomy over their careers; • build and maintain inclusive workplaces where all employees, regardless of where they sit, are set up to succeed; • reward performance and results over the amount of time employees spend at their desks; • ensure that women who choose to work remotely have the same opportunities for recognition, development and promotion, as their colleagues onsite; • and, foster cultures and initiatives that make it tenable for them to continue working. ▪