Taking steps to make the workplace an equal playing field

Businesses will benefit if women are working in a more inclusive environment...

YESTERDAY was International Women’s Day, an opportunity for employers to showcase inclusivity within their workplace and to reflect on steps they can take to make their workplace more inclusive.

The #EmbraceEquity hashtag for women is certainly a topical subject in Ireland. Irish employers published their first set of gender pay gap reports in December 2022.

A recent analysis of these reports carried out by PWC found that 87% of employers disclosed a pay gap in favour of men and that there was a mean gender pay gap of 12.6%, meaning that, on average, female employees earn 87 cents for every euro earned by men. This is largely in line with the most recently available data on the EU average gender pay gap which shows a gap of 13%.

A political agreement has also been reached on the EU Pay Transparency Directive, which goes further than the existing gender pay gap reporting obligations.

But how can businesses recognise the complexities and challenges faced by women in the workplace, and what can they do to address these and their gender pay gap?

Women face a number of other challenges in the workplace including gender and unconscious bias, difficulties balancing work and family responsibilities and a lack of role models and representation at leadership level.

Many women may also have to contend with issues regarding monthly menstruation, menopause and sometimes sickness during pregnancy which can create further work-related challenges for them.

IN addressing these challenges and creating a more flexible and inclusive work environment for women, businesses can attract and retain talent. Studies have also shown that businesses with diverse teams and inclusive cultures perform better than those that lack diversity.

Certainly, an inclusive workplace that allows for a range of ideas and thoughts and a variety of points of view can trigger discussions and deliver innovative results, as well as provide a wide scope of versatile skills and expertise.

Productivity and employee engagement is also likely to increase in circumstances where businesses offer flexibility in working patterns and remote working opportunities to all employees but which may be of particular benefit to female employees.

So by recognising and openly addressing the complexities and challenges that women face, businesses can not only comply with their legal obligations, but also improve their overall competitiveness and performance.

So how can businesses support the recruitment of more women and the retention of female leaders?

There are a number of ways businesses can do this, including creating an inclusive and welcoming culture.

This can be achieved by having family-friendly policies and benefits including fertility and reproductive support, early pregnancy loss and menopause policies and running diversity and inclusion training for all employees.

Awareness of the importance of recognising and providing support for women experiencing symptoms of menopause has become heightened in Ireland over the last few years, largely through media coverage, and is an issue that was subsequently incorporated into the Government’s Women’s Health Action Plan 2022-2023.

It is widely accepted that many of the symptoms linked to menopause can have a negative impact on an employee’s health which can impact on their productivity at work. This was highlighted by a 2021 British study which found that 23% of women who had been unwell because of menopause had left their jobs.

Employers are becoming more aware of the fact that female employees impacted by menopause symptoms are more likely to remain if they feel supported within the workplace, with many organisations introducing menopause policies addressing what had perhaps previously been considered a ‘taboo’ subject.

Providing flexible or remote work arrangements, even ahead of legislation requiring this can help women balance their work and family responsibilities.

Offering flexible or remote work arrangements can also assist employees who are suffering from symptoms of menstruation, menopause or pregnancy by allowing employees to work from the comfort of their home or to take more breaks during the day. Offering pay and benefits in line with industry standards and ensuring men and women are paid the same for equal work is the first step in fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace. It also helps ensure that businesses are not exposed to litigation risk.

Female employees can bring an equal pay claim against their employer where they can show that they are doing work that is the same, similar or of equal value to a male employee who is being paid more than them. Female employees can also take a gender discrimination claim against their employer where they have been treated less favourably than a male employee in a comparable situation.

Employers should also be mindful of any practices or procedures that appear non-discriminatory but adversely affect women as this could amount to indirect discrimination unless it can be objectively justified.

Aside from the legal considerations, offering competitive and comparable remuneration packages helps attract and retain women and is the right thing to do. Providing opportunities for training, mentoring and development can help women progress their careers. Ensuring that women have access to these opportunities and are given equal consideration promotion to the most senior and best paid roles can help retain them.

THERE is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to reducing a gender pay gap. The causes of any gaps will vary from business to business and by sector, and it is important for a business to be clear as to what those causes are. Unless a business really understands the drivers of its gaps, it’ll only waste time and effort on initiatives that won’t actually help it achieve reductions in gaps. Resources must be targeted in the right places to effect any change.

Often, companies’ gaps are caused by some combination of having too few women in senior roles and in technical or specialist roles.

Employers need to focus on recruitment, retention and promotion. They need to ensure they can attract women to their business, retain and support them in their career development, and ensure there are no barriers to them reaching the most senior and best paid roles.

The #EmbraceEquity movement for women is important for businesses for many reasons and an area that is likely to see significant developments in the future as further attempts are made to level the playing field between men and women in the workplace.

Certainly, employers with progressive, inclusive and welcoming work environments should reap the reward of attracting and retaining talent, as well as increasing their business performance and competitiveness.