6 Ways to Create Equality in the Workplace

business meeting
0
Lisa Thal

National Women’s Equality Day (August 26) commemorates the day in 1920 when American women were granted the constitutional right to vote. This was just the start of women’s full and equal participation in our great nation.

Although women have increased their presence in higher-paying jobs typically dominated by men, such as managerial positions, there is still approximately a 20% pay gap between male and female workers.

Men, women, and the company itself all benefit from equality in the workplace. It’s not difficult to do, but it does take commitment and determination.

Follow these steps to create equality in your workplace:

1. Be transparent. Look at how many female employees you have and how many of them are in leadership positions. Then, look at what those female employees are paid compared to their male counterparts.

2. Be candid. Too often, women discuss equality in the workplace with other women only, and men may not speak of it hardly at all. Men and women need to be willing to discuss the matter openly with each other. Likewise, managers and companies must be willing to educate their employees on the matter and the steps they are taking to create gender equality.

3. Be flexible. The pay gap typically occurs when a woman decides to start a family. At that point, women may be less likely to pursue a demanding role due to family obligations. Companies need to create more flexible options for women including telecommuting, job sharing, and consulting assignments to motivate women and keep diversity in the workplace.

4. Reward employee performance, not time spent at the desk. Managers must be taught to reward the outcomes that are achieved, not the hours that are worked, and feedback needs to be given to every employee.

5. Have female leaders in-house. This is perhaps the most obvious way to create equality in the workplace. An article from CNN states that “companies with a high representation of women board members significantly outperformed those with no female directors.” The more diverse leaders are within a company, the better the rate of success.

6. Start at home. Creating equality in the workplace really starts outside of the workplace. What we teach young girls about who they are and how they can contribute to the world must start early. After all, that bossy, young girl is a leader in the making.

“Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *