Six Ways Companies Can Better Support Women In The Post-Pandemic Workplace

Among the many major impacts the pandemic has had on the status quo, none have so disproportionately affected women quite like its impact on the labor force. Whether they were laid off, furloughed or forced to choose between family and work when alternative child care was no longer an option, millions of women left the workforce during the pandemic, outpacing the rate at which men were leaving. And not all of them are coming back.

But from entry-level workers to solopreneurs and CEOs, women make up an important segment of the workforce, and to encourage women to return, these six leaders from Young Entrepreneur Council have a few ideas in mind. Below, they outline a few of the steps companies can take to remedy some of the ongoing women’s issues brought to light by the pandemic and how to better support women in the workplace moving forward.

1. Consider Women's Other Identities

As an employer, you need to understand the obstacles that your employees face in order to create policies that directly address their needs. First, start by surveying your existing employees and doing some research to understand the needs of the women in your target audience. Look beyond gender by considering their other identities (for example, marital status, race, culture, immigration status, if they are mothers or not, etc.). Single mothers are going to need different policies than married women. Women with family in the country may need different policies than women who do not. The policies that will have the most impact are built with the employees’ needs front of mind, so make sure that you’re considering not just gender, but also a woman's (and her family's) other identities. - Amber Anderson, Tote and Pears

2. Offer Various Forms Of Flexibility

Create policies that acknowledge people have families and lives outside of work. That sounds pretty broad, but it's because this can mean so many things. All of these examples would be helpful for anyone who is a parent, women or men. For example, flexible hours allow parents to have more flexibility when they drop off and pick up kids from school or day care. Remote-work flexibility allows a parent to work from home when their kid is sick and home from school for the day. Flexible PTO allows a parent to take a day off work when their kid's school is closed unexpectedly. The key here is flexibility because even for people who are not parents, life comes up, and when you feel restricted to only being able to work in a physical office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., it limits your ability to adapt when life changes. - Kelsey Raymond, Influence & Co.

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