5 Keys to Retaining Women in the Workforce

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I’m Susan. I help leaders and organizations increase their impact, confidence, and results through coaching and unique people strategies and programs that wow employees and boost business!

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The statistics are sobering.  In September 2020, 865,000 adult women dropped out of the workforce, more than 4 times the number of men, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. One-quarter of all women are considering leaving the workforce or downshifting their careers, according to a joint study by McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.org. And if the problem of women exiting the workforce at this accelerated pace wasn’t bad enough, there’s a domino effect impacting the women who remain. If we want a diverse work environment, we need to start thinking differently about how we get work done and all the institutions that support our work.

The strain of the pandemic has raised to the surface a number of not-so-new issues that are negatively impacting women’s decision to stay or go: (1) inequity in the division of labor of household responsibilities, (2) limited flexible leave programs and the social stigma associated with their use, (3) lack of reliable and affordable dependent care, (4) lack of universal healthcare in the US, and (5) workplace resistance to alternative, flexible work arrangements.

Let’s explore each of these further…

1. It starts at home … with a more equitable division of labor (including the “mental load”).

First, men need to step up to the plate at home and women need to allow them to contribute (even if it’s not done exactly the way we would have wanted). In a COVID-19 caregivers survey conducted by Boston Consulting Group in 2020, women spend 15 more hours a week than men on domestic labor.  And parents now spend an additional 27 hours a week on household chores, child care, and education.  I know many men who do their part at home (my husband included), but I also know many who put their work first and use their work as the reason they cannot contribute more at home (even if they are working from home). Sure, change is hard, but the alternative is your partner burning out and resenting you for not helping out more.  And that can spiral into all sorts of negative places.

Women need to be clear about their needs, ask their partner for help (make a list of things, if that helps), and then let it go.  It may not be done exactly to your standard, but you need to prioritize your well-being over perfection and let some things go.

Men, don’t prioritize your work over everything else, even if it is your coping mechanism during these difficult times. Ask for flexibility from your employer, as needed, to help with home responsibilities during the workday. Identify 2-3 sizable recurring household duties (think managing distance learning for 1 or more children, cooking dinner, cleaning up after dinner, managing the kids’ nighttime routine, etc.) that you can take charge of at home and tell your partner you will be taking responsibility for those things going forward.  Don’t wait for her to ask you or ask for permission, just do it.  She may not even realize she needs the help, but will be appreciative of your initiative. 

Because navigating these conversations can be tricky, be open to counseling to work through any conflicts that may arise or deal with deeper-seeded issues. There are now several virtual platforms (e.g., Betterhelp or Talkspace) that provide licensed therapists when and where you need it.

For the 1 in 5 mothers who raise children without a live-in co-parent, the challenges are even greater.Enlist kids 4+ in helping out with age-appropriate household chores. Consider teaming up with another single parent to share in meal prep and/or rotating babysitting to allow yourself regular downtime throughout the week. Outsource whatever you can. Make a list of reliable friends, neighbors, family, and other support services that you can reach out to regularly for help. You don’t have to go it alone. It can be hard to ask for help, but many would be honored to lend you a hand.

2. Provide flexible leave programs and reduce the social stigma associated with using them.

Employers also need to step up to the plate and focus on the unique needs of their employees (regardless of gender, parental status, etc.). All employees have lives outside of work and employers need to provide empathy, understanding, and flexibility to allow employees to manage their outside-of-work responsibilities in a way that’s sustainable. We all have our unconscious biases, but one of the biggest is the one that assumes that a man’s priority is his work over everything else. Don’t get me wrong, there have been great strides made in some states, in more recent years, offering benefits like paid parental leave, sick leave, paternity leave, etc. However, there is still a stigma associated with employees (especially men) taking any perceived “optional” leave of absence and their commitment to their work and career. Rightfully so, men and women alike worry about the impact any time away from work will have on their career trajectory.  This is not ok. We need to stop glorifying the woman who took a conference call while laboring in the hospital or celebrating the man who hasn’t taken any time off from work in the past year.

Change starts at the top and leaders must make it safe to take time away from work when needed by demonstrating by example. I can’t think of a better example than the CEO of EarnUp, who recently stepped down from his position to prioritize and deal with his ongoing and deteriorating mental health. While that took a tremendous amount of courage, I bet every employee in that company now feels supported in taking time off for their own needs as they arise. We must be realistic and creative, working with employees to come up with unique solutions that enable them to deal with life’s curveballs throughout their careers.

3. Provide affordable, reliable dependent care to all.

I don’t think anyone truly understood the criticality of child- and elder-care in our world’s economy. When the pandemic hit and these services were no longer available, we were paralyzed. Unfortunately, because so many women still bear the brunt of childrearing and eldercare, many have felt they had no choice but to step back from their careers. Many employers stepped up to provide some flexibility in work hours, but with no change in work output expectations, many found themselves using daytime hours keeping kids occupied while using their sleeping hours to catch up on work. Of course, this isn’t sustainable over many months, so we’ve seen the inevitable: women dropping out of the workforce at an astonishing pace.

Many women still make less than their male partners, so they often are the obvious choice in terms of who would leave altogether or take themselves off their career track to take a less demanding role or one that required fewer hours. Some larger employers have offered childcare benefits or subsidies to their employees and now offer “learning pods” to help lift the burden of distance learning from parents, but we need something that’s more available to all, not just the most affluent among us. Until this happens, we need to get creative around destigmatizing leave (point #2) and alternative work options (see point #5).

4. Universal healthcare.

The United States’ lack of universal healthcare has been an issue for some time now, but the devastating impact it has had during this pandemic is now very evident. From COVID testing, treatment, and now vaccine distribution we are finding ourselves struggling with basic needs in one of the richest countries in the world. What does this have to do with women leaving the workforce, you wonder? 

Because healthcare in the US is more often than not tied to full-time employment, many women (and men) do not feel they have the option to work fewer hours or stop working because they need to ensure their family’s health is protected and covered. This added stress to an already overflowing plate is creating a workforce that is quickly burning out, resulting in a mental health crisis like we’ve never seen before. Until there is quality, universal healthcare for all, employers need to find ways to cover more employees under alternative work arrangements, even if it means offering health coverage for part-time or seasonal employees. Many more women would opt to stay in the workforce if they could do so on a part-time basis with benefits at various points in their career.

5. Embrace alternative work options.

And finally, the holy grail…We need to think very differently about work and be more open to “non-standard” work arrangements such as part-time or job sharing, while still allowing for meaningful career growth. Business and HR leaders need to be more innovative in how the work gets done and open to change, including adjusting business goals, individual expectations, and measuring productivity.  One size doesn’t fit all here and if you don’t want to lose your talent, you’ve got to think differently and engage your employees in defining what will work (for them and for the company).

Eight years ago, if I had the opportunity to be part of a job share or reduce my working hours to part-time without losing my benefits or my career path, I would not have left my employer at the time.  But because these options weren’t available to me, I felt I had no other alternative but to leave and pursue consulting independently on a part-time basis.

There’s no magic bullet here, but we need to act quickly if we are to reverse this alarming trend. It starts with awareness of the challenges so we are better positioned to start addressing them. I would love to hear what you’re doing to keep women in your workplace. Share what’s working in the comments below. 

If you are an HR Leader who wants to design a cohesive employee experience that is welcoming and nurtures the unique needs of your diverse workforce during these challenging times, but you’re not sure where to start, let’s chat!

If you are a Career Mom who is feeling overwhelmed and on the verge of burnout…let’s connect.  I’ve been there and there is a better way!

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