Women Are Logging More Hours than Men in Their Jobs

“With this economy, women are taking on more of a breadwinner role in the family, and part of this is working more hours,” says Laura Vanderkam, author of 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.  

In a research study, conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the work-life changes since 2009 have affected women more than men. For instance:  

• Women are working more hours overall than they did two years ago, including weekends
• Employed women spends 7 hours and 26 minutes a day, on average, doing work
• Women only have their weekend time for doing household activities and socializing  

Women, who have historically worked fewer hours than men, are catching up as the hours men work are decreasing.  

Read the USA Today article

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EEOC Focuses on Today’s Gender Pay Gap Problem

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has already hosted two dozen events in their focused efforts to address the gender pay gap in America. Fortunately for employees who work in federal government, there is a higher level of equal pay in federal jobs versus private sector jobs.  

As reported by Washington Post columnist Joe Davidson, it is the General Schedule that takes the most credit for keeping down gender-based pay disputes.  

“The General Schedule ensures that the vast majority of federal employees — regardless of gender, age, race or other personal characteristics — are rewarded solely based on their performance, knowledge and experience,” said Colleen M. Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union.  

According to the data provided by the U.S. General Accountability Office, women who work in federal government jobs make 11 cents less than their male colleagues. The EEOC is concerned also with the wage gap that exists for women of color and women with disabilities.  

Read the Washington Post article

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Employees Are Using Technology to Record Acts of Work Discrimination

Did you know that more employees are secretly using technology to record instances of sexual harassment and discrimination in your workplace?  

According to a recent ABC News report, now with cell phones, audio recorders, and other digital devices, employees are collecting evidence to protect themselves at work.  

Labor experts and employment lawyers say that as cell phones and other digital devices have become more common, employees have gotten increasingly savvy about using high-tech tools to record what they consider discriminatory or inappropriate activity at the office, often in secret.  

Joe Bontke, an outreach manager for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Houston, said he estimates that one-third of the people who come to the Houston E.E.O.C. office to file discrimination complaints bring some kind of digital evidence with them, such as audio and video recordings, email messages, text messages and photos.  

Be sure to visit the below link to read the full story and watch the video of a real employee’s experience.  

Read the ABC News article

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4 Ways to Better Communicate Fairness and Equal Treatment in the Office

One of the greatest challenges for human resources is promoting equal treatment of employees, especially when so many fear that managers show favoritism when it comes to promotions and raises.  

From Entrepreneur Magazine, there are a few ways that you can try to effectively communicate the organization’s policy for equal and fair treatment of all employees.  

It is essential that an employee understand the process for pay raises, rewards, or advancement in the organization. Also, employees should have a fair process for being heard when they disagree with their own progress and/or the advancement of their colleagues.   

• Reaffirm that everyone will receive an equal opportunity to be recognized for good work
• Communicate how/when promotions are handled fairly
• Add transparency to the pay structure and how employees are rewarded
• Provide a fair appeals or complaint process  

Read the Entrepreneur Magazine article  

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Women in Business Discuss the Barriers to Job Advancement

Women in the workforce have come a long way over the years. In this year’s Women in the Economy conference, a variety of mentors talk about the different challenges that women face as they climb the ladder into middle and senior management.  

Why aren’t there more women in management?

Hosted by Vikram Malhotra, chairman of McKinsey & Co., the discussion was centered on the corporate talent pipeline and the lack of aspiring female leadership. “There is a silver lining, a leverage point—middle-management women. They really want to move to the next level as much as men do, and we must capture their minds and hearts before their ambitions turn sour.”  

There is a compelling shift towards great change in corporate America. The presenting experts, including an economics professor from Harvard, director of the Women Leaders Program at the World Economic Forum, and others, all agreed on common trends occurring in the workforce:

• Women lack female role models and/or mentors
• They are often excluded from informal networks where connections are made
• Lifestyle issues are a problem (e.g., traveling, the 24/7 executive lifestyle)
• Entrenched beliefs about leadership held by men and women in management  

Read the Wall Street Journal article

  

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Myth Buster: Is There a Lack of Leadership Opportunities for Women Today?

From a study released this week by McKinsey & Co., it turns out that the resources to foster female leadership in Corporate America have gone down. The survey results were taken from 2,525 college-educated men and women employed by large companies.  

Just a handful of women have been able to advance in management with their corporate companies. “Only 11 chief executives of Fortune 500 companies are women, down from a peak of 15 in 2010,” according to a spokeswoman for Catalyst Inc., a nonprofit women’s research group. There were two Fortune 500 female CEOs in 2000, up from one in 1995, Catalyst said in a 2000 report.  

With the release of this research data, McKinsey analysts are urging employers to spend more time and invest more resources in leadership training and coaching for women in the workplace. In particular, they took note of multiple barriers that seem to made it more difficult (and less appealing) for women to climb the corporate ladder.  

For instance, the survey revealed a few interesting truths surrounding advancement in corporations:  

• Women are “doubly handicapped” because 62% occupy staff jobs that rarely lead to a CEO role 
• Employers aren’t watching middle-management women, providing them with the support to clear the next promotion hurdle(s) 
• Employers and HR express a deep interest in gender diversity, but fail to actively promote leadership  careers for women, and making sure they have female mentors  

Read the Wall Street Journal article

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