Best Workplaces for Women in SL Over 80 percent of the female employees in each of the recognized workplaces believe that they are treated fairly regardless of their gender this indicates an average of 91 percent for the 10 organizations.

Gender equality at the workplace is becoming a hygiene factor in most parts of the world - not just because it is the right thing to do, but more so because it is good for business. There is significant evidence to indicate that gender diversity in the working environment contributes to better business returns through higher productivity, boost in economic growth & increased welfare of families (International Labour Organization, 2016). Women constitute 57 percent of Sri Lanka’s p o p u l at i o n . Nevertheless, Sri Lanka has the 14th- largest gender gap in labour force participation globally (WEF 2016).

Even as the economy expanded, the female labour force participation (FLFP) in Sri Lanka declined from 41 percent in 2010 to 36 percent in 2016. Men’s participation remained above 75 percent during the same time period ( The World Bank, 2017). According to the Annual Bulletin in December 2018 by the Department of Census & Statistics in Sri Lanka, the FLFP has further declined to 33.6 percent.

Given the high- level of female education and human capital growth in the country, this has been a surprising outcome. Many researches attribute this lag primarily to the high prevalence of social limitations that render employment difficult for women. Providing the necessary psychosocial support to encourage the participation of women in the workforce and break through the glass ceiling can help mitigate this in the workplace.

With a view to commend efforts made by organizations to creating more conducive environments for women, Great Place to Work® Inc has been identifying and recognizing “Best Workplaces for Women” since 2015 in the USA. Similarly, recognizing the pivotal role women play in the labour force and sheer proportion of women capable of contributing to the Sri Lankan economy, Great Place to Work ® Sri Lanka conducted the inaugural edition of the Best Workplaces for Women Study in 2019.

ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

The Great Place to Work ® model used to assess Best Workplaces is based on two lenses; Firstly, the Trust Index © employee perception survey is conducted to understand the employee workplace experience. Organizations are measured on whether employees Trust the people they work for, have Pride in work they do and share Camaraderie among people they work with.

Secondly, the practices and processes in place to drive the employee experience are evaluated through a central submission termed the Culture Audit © . Results for each of the listed organizations are audited to maintain accuracy and validity of its inclusion in the Best Workplaces List.

SHE ROCKS framework

In addition, considering the challenges women face due to their extensive contribution within the nuclear as well as the extended family unit, we have given priority to selected areas – abbreviated by SHE ROCKS. Areas assessed by the SHE ROCKS framework: Supporting through creation of women friendly policies Hiring for diversity and special programmes for returning women

Equal pay and promotions · Rejoice and Celebrate successes Orientation on Unconscious Bias

Continuously Inspire

K n ow l e d g e & Gro w t h Opportunities

Stress- free workplace environment

What differentiates these organizations from the rest?

The employee strength of the 10 Best Workplaces in Sri Lanka 2019 range from 50 employees to over 3,300+ employees. The female representation of these organizations varies from 16 % to 85 % of their total workforce.

Employee Experience

Over the years, we have seen a slightly higher employee perception from women when compared to men. This is re-iterated through this study as well

– 9 out of the 10 recognized workplaces indicate an equal or higher female perception when compared to males. On average 86.4 percent of females are positive about the workplace in comparison to 83.3 percent of males. At the same time, it is interesting to note that the gap in perception based on gender is relatively low – limited to 3 percentage points.

Not gender biased:

Over 80 percent of the female employees in each of the recognized workplaces believe that they are treated fairly regardless of their gender this indicates an average of 91 percent for the 10 organizations.

Training & Development:

Over 86 percent of the female workforce believe that there is sufficient training & development offered at these organizations to further themselves.

Fair Evaluation:

86 percent of the female employees think that performance evaluations are conducted fairly at their workplace.

Fair Promotions:

In these workplaces, promotions are also perceived as fair with an average 79 percent of employees indicating agreement for the same.

Career Progression:

87 percent of the women at the recognized workplaces feel that there are opportunities for their career growth.