For Women’s Equality Day (26th August), research from Reward Gateway | Edenred Bridging the ROI Gap Report reveals that female employees are still struggling to get the same support as their male colleagues, despite being more likely to utilise support from their line managers.
Analysis of the data revealed that 40% of women would speak to their line manager in the first instance if they were having problems at work, compared with just 34% of men.
Yet, male employees consistently reported receiving more support compared to their female counterparts:
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65% of men said their line manager regularly checks on their workload and capacity, compared to 62% of women
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68% of men said their line manager regularly sets them goals and targets, compared to 59% of women
This risks setting a dangerous precedent in the workplace, as even subtle differences like this can have major implications on productivity, staff turnover, and company reputation.
Women were more likely to be motivated by an employer that supports and encourages their progression:
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75% of women said they would be more likely to stay in their role, compared to 71% of men
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75% of women said they would be more productive at work, compared to 72% of men
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72% of women said they would be more motivated to go above and beyond at work, compared to 70% of men
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70% of women said they would be more likely to recommend their employer to a friend, compared to 67% of men
Mollie Williams, Employee Engagement Expert at Reward Gateway | Edenred, comments: “Gender equality in the workplace has made incredible progress over the past several decades, with more focus being placed on gender pay gap reporting, encouraging women into senior positions, and changing legislation to promote equal rights.
“However, there is still work to be done if we want to reach true gender parity. HR leaders can help make strides towards this by ensuring management is aware of where female employees need better support. This could be through organising relevant training, tracking employee sentiment, or even reviewing benefit packages to include options like menopause leave or mentorship programmes. Targeted actions such as these can help build a better, more inclusive work culture and help shift the dial towards achieving equality in the workplace.”
