Study Finds Strong Belongingness & High Productivity Among Women In Gender-Equal Workplaces

Gender inequality in the workplace is an important issue for any business. Enhancing workplace diversity and alleviating gender discrimination may increase productivity, reduce conflict and prevent legal issues. Gender equality can help capture the skills, ideas and perspectives that each employee offers. Not only that, but people want to work at companies that prioritise equality.

Women employed in companies that excel in gender equality display notably higher levels of loyalty, productivity, motivation, and sense of belonging compared to those working in organisations with poor gender equality practices, according to the latest findings from Deloitte's Women @ Work survey. This survey, which gathers insights from 5,000 women across 10 countries, including India, underscores the significance of cultivating gender-inclusive workplaces to enhance employee engagement and overall organisational performance.

Deloitte report Women Are More Loyal And Productive When Workplace Score Well On Gender Equality | Freepik

Performance of Gender Equality Leaders (GELs)

According to Deloitte¡¯s report, women employed by gender equality leaders (GELs) scored their loyalty at 76, productivity at 75, and motivation and sense of belongingness at 71 on a scale of 100.

Additionally, these female professionals are much more inclined to recommend their workplaces to other women, express higher satisfaction with the mental health support provided, and feel more at ease discussing their mental well-being in the workplace, as per the survey's findings. The report also highlights that they hold a more positive outlook regarding their career advancement opportunities and are confident that being a woman does not put them at a disadvantage in their organisation. Conversely, women working for "laggards" fare notably poorer across all these metrics.

Insights from Saraswathi Kasturirangan

As reported by ET, Saraswathi Kasturirangan, who holds the position of Chief Happiness Officer at Deloitte India, mentioned, "People have talked about how being fair to everyone in a business can help it do well. These new findings show that this is true." She also added, "For a company to really do well, everyone in it should have the chance to do their best."

Kasturirangan added, "When your strategies aimed at advancing the careers of female professionals are put into action, you position yourself much better for growth. This is because you're gaining diverse perspectives and a motivated, gender-diverse workforce. Additionally, you're fostering a supportive and secure work environment."

Challenges and Return-to-Work Strategies

The survey also underscored the need for return-to-work strategies to accommodate unique circumstances.

The transition to full-time work has posed challenges for many women professionals. Approximately 41 per cent have requested reduced hours, 31% report negative impacts on their mental well-being, and 36% have a diminished view of their employer. These figures are more favorable for those returning to a hybrid office setup.

Similar to their global counterparts, nearly all women in India (96%) believe that requesting or using flexible working arrangements will affect their career advancement. Additionally, about 91 per cent feel they cannot discuss work-life balance challenges with their managers, and 94 per cent doubt their workload would be adjusted if they utilised flexible working arrangements.

Women in India continue to bear the majority of childcare and adult caregiving responsibilities.

Instances where partners share these responsibilities or when there's an equal division are higher when the woman is the primary earner. Even in such cases, there's a greater reliance on paid assistance in India compared to global counterparts (31 per cent in India vs. 6 per cent globally).

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"An often-overlooked aspect of inclusive practices is encouraging male professionals to be better allies, both at work and home," said Kasturirangan. "Policies related to parental and adult caregiving should reflect this expectation. Given the greater reliance on paid childcare in India, organisations could enhance their daycare provisions with features like nanny reimbursement."

Personal Safety Concerns

About 46 per cent of Indian respondents cited personal safety concerns at work or during travel to/from work as a top priority.

Just over a quarter of respondents felt they could face attack or harassment due to the location or neighborhood of their workplace, as revealed by the survey. While to a lesser extent, other concerns include harassment or uncomfortable behavior by clients, harassment during the commute, and harassment by a colleague.

"Advancing women's equal participation in our workforce extends beyond office walls, and certain priorities include behavioral change," said Kasturirangan. "It's crucial for organisations to address unacceptable behavior such as micro-aggressions and gender bias. It's also important to focus on areas that may seem beyond the organisation's control but still require considerable effort and investment."

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