Make Work Less Shit for Women
We might love many things about our work, but some things are a bit shit. And while that goes for everyone, women tend to deal with a bit more.
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) reported no change in the 22.8% gender pay gap in 2021-2022 and tell us that:
"women continue to earn less than men, are less likely to advance their careers as far as men, and are more likely to spend their final years in poverty.”
But apart from the major structural concerns, women face other aspects of workplace shiticity (it's a word if I say it is).
> Women leaders are burning out more than their male counterparts - while they are more active in supporting others not to burn themselves out.
> There are higher expectations placed on women when it comes to managing their own emotions in the workplace, and they bear a disproportionate brunt of managing the emotions of others.
> Women take up/are given more non-promotable work and additional tasks to manage the smooth running and social niceties of the workplace.
Now we can't address everything as individuals, like the pay gap, but there are things we can do to make our work lives less shit.
A good place to start is by identifying what we can control, what we can influence and what is not in our control and deciding where we focus our efforts to improve our working lives. We can take back a little control by looking at ONE THING we can do rather than the millions we can't do. And from little things, well... you know.
A coaching client was struggling with boundaries around the expectations of her role. As only one of two women in the office, she was finding herself lumped with so much additional 'support' work that she had to stay later each day to manage her workload and run errands for the business in her own time. While she hadn't minded helping out at first with social events, making time for managing the interpersonal conflict of others in the team, and listening to the boss struggling with work and personal issues, she started to resent a level of disrespect about her professional capabilities. Her make counterpart was offered projects and opportunities that she was never considered for. But she felt stuck now.
By looking at her unhelpful beliefs about this ONE THING, the structures that support them and her agency - one's ability and autonomy to act - we started to shift the dial positively.
There will always be shitty things about your work, but they tell you what needs to be changed to make the workplace fairer, more productive and healthier. Big or small, how can you make a difference and do ONE THING better?
Check out my 'Make Work Less Shit for women' event in Melbourne on April 13: https://events.humanitix.com/make-work-less-shit-for-women
Join in an evening of ideas, activities, laughter and conversation as we sort through the shitshow that working life can be for women. Ideal for mid-senior leaders in the public and NFP sectors.