Last year Deloitte launched a new survey to better understand women’s experiences in the workplace, and how those impacted their engagement and progression. The findings from our 2021 Women @ Work: A Global Outlook survey painted a bleak picture of working women coming under increased pressure as the COVID-19 pandemic imposed new daily challenges on them. Highlighting a series of negative impacts on women’s wellbeing and career aspirations, the report called for bold action by employers to better support their female employees and mitigate threats to gender equality after years of slow but vital progress.
One year on from our 2021 research, as many COVID-related restrictions have gradually lifted and a “new normal” emerges, our 2022 survey reveals some lasting impacts negatively affecting women’s career and life choices, and exposes the exclusion risks women face as they navigate a new world of work.
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Burnout is high and is causing women to look for new employers
Responses from the 5,000 working women surveyed across 10 countries make clear that the pandemic is continuing to take its toll on their wellbeing. Over half of respondents share that their stress levels are higher than a year ago, and only four in ten rate their mental health as good or very good. More than one third rate their ability to switch off from work as poor or very poor, fearing career penalty if they are not perceived to be always available. Finally, almost half of respondents say they are experiencing burnout (rising to over 60% for younger women).
This burnout “epidemic” is causing many women to reconsider their current positions. Four in ten of those actively looking for another job say burnout is the main reason for their wanting to leave, significantly ahead of pay and lack of opportunity to advance, which came in second and third place respectively. This is, however, a new phenomenon with those who have already switched jobs since the beginning of the pandemic quoting lack of advancement opportunities as their key motivation (with work life balance and pay both coming in at second place). This does not bode well for retention: indeed, more than half of women who took part in our survey are planning to leave their current employers within the next two years. Almost half of all respondents are less optimistic about their career opportunities than they were a year ago, and one quarter rate their job satisfaction and motivation at work as poor or very poor. The Great Resignation is likely to continue for women for the foreseeable future, unless burnout is addressed.
Despite all the talk, flexible working is not yet working for all women
Two years into the pandemic, just one third of respondents say that their employer offers flexible working policies. But even when those policies are available, women may choose not to use them: a startling 94% still believe that requesting flexible arrangements would affect their chances of being promoted, pointing to persistent stigma in working cultures, while an equally alarming 90% of women believe that reducing their working hours would not see a reduction in their workload. Worryingly, women who have reduced or changed their hours in the past year report significantly lower levels of mental well-being and motivation at work and are almost three times as likely to feel burned out. It is alarming to see that even a two-year global pandemic – where many were working remotely – has not managed to move the dial on flexible working for women.
Hybrid working – the new normal – runs exclusion risks
While hybrid working has been embraced by many employers – and is regarded as the “new normal” for corporate workplaces, almost 60% of those working in a hybrid way (i.e., combining work in, and away from, their place of work) feel they have been excluded from important meetings, and 45% report that their exposure to leaders is insufficient, with potentially negative implications for their progression, reward, and sponsorship. And with predictability being important for many women who are in caring roles, 64% of those women working in a hybrid environment say that their employer hasn’t set any expectations on where and when to work.
A growing number of women experience non-inclusive behaviors at work
When asked what their employers should do to advance gender equality, most of the women surveyed chose embedding a truly respectful and inclusive culture. However, six in ten women say they have experienced harassment and/or microaggressions at work over the past year – an increase of seven percentage points on the 2021 survey.
This year, we examined experience and reporting through the lenses of both harassment and microaggressions. This showed that the majority of non-inclusive behaviors experienced comprise microaggressions, with half of women saying they experienced these as opposed to 14% of women who say they experienced harassment. A difference can also be seen when it comes to reporting this to employers, with two-thirds of those experiencing harassment reporting this to their employer, while only 23% of those experiencing microaggressions have reported this. When asked why these experiences have not been reported, women cite fear of career impact, with a shocking 93% of respondents believing that reporting non-inclusive behaviors will negatively impact their careers. Most women also believe that, even if they do report to their employers, action will not be taken.
Our findings also highlight the adverse impact of intersectionality. More than 10% of LGBT+ and women in an ethnic minority in their home country were more likely to have felt patronized or undermined by management because of their gender, while those in ethnic-minority groups are almost twice as likely to cite experiencing someone else taking credit for their ideas.
But some organizations are getting it right
Our survey makes plain the need for employers to address the challenges that still exist in the workplace when it comes to gender equality. But it also helps crystallize the benefits of getting it right. As in 2021, the report identifies a small group of women (5% of respondents, compared to 4% in 2021) who work for organizations who are getting it right. Women who work for these “Gender Equality Leaders” all report confidence in reporting non-inclusive behavior; feeling supported by employers when it comes to work-life balance; and feeling that their career is progressing as fast as they would like.
The survey clearly shows the benefits of working for these Gender Equality Leaders, with these women reporting significantly higher levels of engagement, trust, and career satisfaction than the overall sample. These women also report far more positive experiences with hybrid working (with, for example, only 14% reporting experiencing exclusion and only 7% saying they don’t have enough access to senior leaders), while also reporting lower levels of burnout (only 3%, compared to around 50% in our overall sample). They are also happier with the mental health support provided by their employer and feel comfortable talking about mental health at work.
The case for business leaders to act
The case made by our Women @ Work 2022 survey is compelling: business leaders must act now and secure the very real benefits of providing supportive work cultures for women, reversing the threats to gender equality posed by the pandemic. But this action cannot only be about policy; it must be about the “everyday” experience of women. Employers must:
Address the burnout epidemic through education, tools, techniques and, most critically, inclusive leadership.
Put mental health first not just through support but through prevention and stigma removal.
Make flexible working work for women enabling women to succeed and progress while working flexibly, backed up by supportive leadership.
Realize the full benefits of hybrid working proactively addressing exclusion risks and providing meaningful exposure to leaders and sponsors for those who are not physically present.
Instill a truly respectful and inclusive culture where all non-inclusive behaviors are simply not tolerated and are reported without fear of penalty.
When we finally look back on the pandemic, many aspects of how we work will have changed forever. Business leaders must act now to make sure that the ability for women to thrive and succeed at work is not one of them.
