Today, only 56% of American women are employed for pay, the lowest percentage in 35 years, according to recent data. The “shecession” has forced millions of women out of work and set back decades of progress. The economic fallout of the pandemic will have an enduring effect on women individually and collectively in lost wages, retirement savings, and career advancement.

The pandemic also laid bare the cracks in the foundation of our economy. The past year shuttered women-dominated industries including service and hospitality, closed schools and childcare facilities, and created a perfect storm that rocked the already-precarious ecosystem for working women. In short, the pandemic highlighted and exacerbated the challenges working women have always faced. 

Now, we have an opportunity to rebuild more equitably, and to create conditions that support working women. The pandemic offers companies a blueprint for how to do that, first by making permanent some of the temporary fixes employers put in place. You, our 100% Talent Compact Signers, who have already demonstrated your commitment to working towards gender/racial pay equity, have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this change.

As organizations call workers back to offices, now is the time to rethink the way things were and implement not just a new normal, but a better normal for all including:

Flexibility. Organizations must offer employee-centered flexibility in where and when work gets done, which research shows can help keep people in their jobs and boost retention. After more than a year of hybrid arrangements and flexible schedules, employers should normalize and make flexibility permanent in a post-COVID world for jobs that can be done remotely. 

Reimagined hiring practices. Gender-blind application evaluations significantly increase the number of women candidates considered for positions. The removal of additional identifying information can be used to increase diversity in hiring as well. 

Promotions. Employers must reevaluate their promotion practices. In Boston, women make up more than half of the residents and half of the workforce. Yet, women on average earn 30 cents less on the dollar compared to their male counterparts. Women of color earn even less, with the disparity as high as 55 cents, according to the anonymous employee data we collect. Women who kept their jobs during the past year are not earning anywhere near their male counterparts, primarily because they are not being promoted to higher-salaried positions at the same rate.

Caregiving. Caregiving responsibilities should be taken into consideration in re-opening planning. Flexible hours and the option to telework will significantly help people balance work with other responsibilities.  Additionally, paid family leave is associated with reduced turnover, increased loyalty, and improved morale when it is available and accessible to all employees – not only women.

Let’s use what we learned this year to remake faulty work and support systems. This is an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild our workplaces and reinforce policies and practices that work for everyone. Stay tuned for our Q3 Briefing Session which will feature workforce re-entry research and recommendations from our 100% Talent Compact Signer network.

Kim Borman, BWWC Executive Director