The effects of Covid-19 on gender equality and working women in the US has been dramatic.

Effect of Job Losses

Studies indicate that women have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19, with 40% of all employed women working in the industries with the most job losses (compared to 36.6% of men), including food, hospitality, retail, and real estate. 

According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a stunning 865,000 women (age 20 and older) left the workforce this September, 2020 compared to 216,000 men. This data confirms a continuing disturbing trend that may set back gender equality at work for years to come.

Weight of Household Chores and Home Education

CBS 11 in the Morning reported on Sunday, Oct 4, 2020, that during the 'new normal' of Covid-19, 80% of women do most of the housework and schooling at home. Not only are women working from home, but they are also performing their nanny’s and children’s teacher’s jobs. The stress of juggling has caused a dramatic increase in anxiety, depression, and sleep loss.

Ultimately, women are making difficult decisions. Quit their jobs to stay home with their children or, where allowed by the employer, move to a reduced work schedule with much less pay, risking their financial stability. Worse, women may lose their future financial security if they cannot return with full salary after Covid-19, including to resume their potential for retirement income and pension wealth. 

Increase in Workforce Discrimination Against Women

More troubling is the increase in workforce discrimination against women. Many employers are not providing support and relief for women who have child care requirements. The 'new normal' requiring employees to work remotely has sparked indifference and hostility by senior employees and executives against working moms. Due to the fractured nature of where employees are working, companies are not actively monitoring compliance with policies that protect against bullying, discrimination, sexual harassment, and racism. Complaints from working moms about inappropriate comments made by superiors or colleagues are being dismissed or ignored. In many cases, the complaining employee is eventually terminated in retaliation “for business reasons” or “for failure to perform her job duties.”

More than ever, working moms are worried about sharing work-life challenges with their colleagues or having their work negatively judged because they have childcare responsibilities.

Working from home can be difficult, especially if you have young children and other distractions. If your spouse is an essential worker or has an equally demanding job, you may not have anyone to help keep your kids busy while on a Zoom or conference call. Interruptions are likely, and your colleagues, superiors, and clients should be understanding and patient. We are confident that mom is not purposefully promoting interruptions.

Examples of Objectionable Behavior by Senior Employees or Executives

• You tell your employee that she may not participate in a call if her children are present.
• You openly state that you are omitting your employee from important meetings and calls because “she is doing important mommy duties.” 
• You communicate to your employee that she is not eligible to work on a matter since “she will be busy with her family.” 
• You make derogatory comments about the fact that your employee has children. 
• You make derogatory comments about your employee’s appearance because she is a mother and cares for children. 
• You decline your employee’s request for a better time for a telephone call, even though her proposed time would work for you or the group. (We have heard cases where the superior scheduled an essential call during the lunch hour, despite the employee noting that it was her children’s break from online schooling.)
• If your employee asks you for help as the superior and you dismiss her concerns with “you will just have to deal with it to keep your job” or “if you can’t adjust, your career will suffer.” 

Working mothers have traditionally battled systemic workplace biases, fostering hiring, pay, and work experience discrimination. We believe a male employee would not likely suffer this type of bias. Employers must make every effort to stem the tide created by Covid-19 against any progress we have made for workplace gender equality.

Importance of Supporting Working Mothers

These are challenging times, and as an employer, it is crucial to focus on all of your employees’ health, prosperity, and productivity, including mothers working from home. Otherwise, you risk losing talented women with growth potential or in leadership ranks vital to your company. As we have noted in our book Play Nice, gender diversity on teams and corporate management dramatically benefits a company’s success and profitability.

Employers who exhibit themselves as non-supportive of female employees or seen to be disrespectful during challenging times are less likely to attract and retain talented employees. 

How Can Employers Help? 

1. Conduct regular interactive reminder sessions with your employees and leadership that the company has and enforces zero-tolerance policies against bullying, harassment, and discrimination of any kind—review recent violations as examples for clarity and understanding. 
2. Encourage complaints and take them seriously. Address any concerns immediately and effectively with appropriate punishment for violations. 
3. Provide support to employees in balancing work and life, including in-home assistance or other options for childcare and schooling, flexible work schedules (with temporarily reduced hours during the pandemic), mental-health counseling if needed, and emergency loans and grants.
4. Talk through realistic work schedules to make sure parents can address getting kids ready for online learning, lunch, and dinner time. For example, avoid calls when kids are getting prepared for school hours or during lunchtime.
5. Revisit work deadlines and scope of necessary work to lighten responsibilities—schedule low-priority items for a later date.
6. Conduct regular check-ins with your employees and leadership. Attend teleconference calls regularly to monitor compliance with company policies. 
7. Meet with employees to confirm they have the necessary tools to work more efficiently from home. 

Finally, pay particular attention to employees who may be suffering from domestic violence by a partner. Living in close quarters, not being able to distance at work or socialize with friends and family, increased alcohol consumption, and financial difficulties can be very stressful—powerful triggers for abusers to release frustration and violence on their partners and children, harming the productivity of employees who are victims. 

If You Are the Employee

As an employee, if you are worried about complaining to HR, don’t be afraid to raise your concerns first with a superior that understands your challenges. Have him or her help you communicate the discrimination if you are concerned about retaliation. Ask witnesses to help you corroborate any instances of discrimination. Take detailed notes of the dates and instances of objectionable behavior and any witness accounts. If you need help with tips on working from home, surf the internet for advice, and check out our blogs on the subject:

• Working From Home - Yes, There is a Silver Lining; 
• Working From Home - Turning Obstacles into Positives; 
• Working at Home with your Partner? Our Favorite Advice. 

If You Are a Witness

Don't be a bystander if you witness bad behavior. Offer to be an ally, or complain about the violator independently. In many cases, if you know the abuser personally, you can help resolve the behavior by raising your concerns with that person directly. Would the violator want his daughter or wife to be subject to such discrimination? We think not. 

Is There a Silver Lining? 

According to recent reports, where men have been working from home during Covid-19 with their working spouses, they have acquired a greater appreciation concerning gender equality, including:

• the challenges of balancing paid work with unpaid work typically performed at a more significant percentage by women (household chores, childcare, and homeschooling);
• the importance of relieving burdens of unpaid work at home to support their spouse’s career;
• the ability to build better relationships with their spouse and children while spending more time at home;
• the opportunity to connect on a more personal level and build trust with colleagues on teleconferences, sharing juggling experiences and providing emotional support; 

David G. Smith and W. Brad Johnson produced an informative article in the Harvard Business Review on this subject. The Covid-19 experience has provided men in leadership positions an important opportunity to rework policies, practices, and systems in collaboration with their female colleagues to make serious progress on full gender equality in the workplace. 

The good news is that both women and men may benefit long term from some of the changes wrought by Covid-19, such as more flexible schedules and the normalization of working from home— for those who can.

What will you do today to be #beupstanding and help #changetheculture for an environment without #sexualharassment, #abuse and #racism? #TimesUp. Let’s #playnice. For more info on this topic and other related issues, check out “Play Nice - Playground Rules for Respect in the Workplace,” and join us at www.thesandboxseries.com.