Page 74 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2022

OVERCOMING THE
OBSTACLES
story by Cherie Ward
Women have made incredible employment market strides during the past 50 years, yet
still encounter challenges with wage gaps, non-inclusive workplaces, and inflexibilities that makes advancement difficult when it comes to careers. Here are the most important fundamentals for women trying to progress their careers and a few action steps required by leaders willing to make adjustments for women to succeed at work.
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September 2022 www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Equal Pay
It’s 2022, and most women are still paid less than men despite having similar or equivalent skillsets. On average, women make 20 percent less than men in nearly every profession-from elementary school teachers to physicians. Studies show women must tackle on average an extra 66 workdays to earn the same salary as their male counterparts.
Workplace leaders should close the salary gaps by conducting annual wage audits and evaluating recruitment, promotion, and talent developments for gender bias. Supporting pay transparency would also be a positive step.
Non-Inclusiveness
Women often feel dismissed or ignored in the workplace and sometimes regard themselves as outsiders. Qualities such as gender, race, religion, age, or sexual orientation can leave them with a diminished voice. Not focusing on a culture that engages all employees will give women a reason to seek other employment, thus creating a high employee turnover.
Leaders should create an understanding and language about what inclusion and exclusion mean to the company and hold their teams accountable when these communication skills are not readily available or utilized.
Inflexibilities
Allowing women to manage their careers and personal priorities with flexible work arrangements is an issue for many women. If utilized correctly, workplace flexibility can be an effective tool for organizations to reduce turnover and as a cost-saving measure that prevents absenteeism and attracts top talents.
Companies should focus on results instead of simply time spent behind a desk. Seek management willing
to develop an inclusive flexibility program and encourage teams to be role models.
Unfortunately, these are only a handful of workforce challenges women are attempting to overcome, and employers need to be mindful of the mounting pressure placed on women employees and leaders within their organizations.
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