Businesses need to help women in particular, notably moms and caregivers who balance several tasks in their workday, as we enter another year of remote work. They require more flexibility and help to complete their work without resorting to quitting because their outside commitments differ from those of some of their male peers.
For leaders aiming to get this right and involve a crucial workforce group, some advice and insights are provided below.
Fix it by calling it out
Instead of expecting working mothers to speak up for themselves, organizations and business leaders can take proactive steps to keep these personnel. It's critical that corporate management expressly acknowledges the difficulties facing women in the workforce today. Mothers may feel inadequate or that they need to put on a front that they are managing when in reality they are hurting if they don't receive this public acknowledgment and ownership.
Prioritize well-being
Due to the pandemic, difficult problems have arisen for all parents. It has been discovered that women bear a disproportionate share of the burden. It's time for businesses to consider the full individual rather than presuming that their personal commitments are not a concern. To help working mothers, you must first identify their requirements. It involves taking a frequent pulse of working mothers' needs and challenges, supporting flexible schedules, giving services for mental health, and enticing them to use those resources. Employee resource groups generate community and a sense of belonging, so managers can establish them to support working mothers.
Set a good example and promote the use of flexible work rules
Flexible work rules are useless if staff members are unaware of how they operate. More importantly, having policies is useless if leaders don't implement them and encourage their workers to do the same. If this isn't done, you'll have employees accruing sick days while also having them suffer from medical problems brought on by stress and burnout.
Implement policies and give resources proactively
Companies should get ready to develop processes in a proactive manner to accommodate these shifting times. For instance, a business can develop templates and toolkits for managers to use when having conversations with their workers about work schedules and personal well-being. Additionally, they can build up the HR department so that it can communicate information about the company's flexible scheduling practices, conveniently available documentation of leave policies and significant benefits, and more.
Source: Forbes
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