Problems Faced by the Women in The Workplace
Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment at the workplace is one of the most widespread problems that women face.
It can be carried out by anyone of the same sex, a different sex or anyone of any gender identity.
You could experience sexual harassment from anyone you encounter because of your job, including someone you work with a manager, supervisor, or someone else in a position of authority someone high profile or influential
You can also experience sexual harassment from a customer, client, or member of the public.
Sexual harassment can be a one-off incident or an ongoing pattern of behaviour.
It can happen in person or in other ways, for example online through email, social media, or messaging tools.
An employer should take steps to prevent this.
Examples include:
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flirting, gesturing,
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making sexual remarks about someone's body,
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clothing, or appearance
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asking questions about someone's sex life
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telling sexually offensive jokes
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making sexual comments or jokes about someone's sexual orientation or gender reassignment
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displaying or sharing pornographic or sexual images, or other sexual content
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touching someone against their will, for example hugging them
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sexual assault or rape
What some people might consider as joking, 'banter' or part of their workplace culture is still sexual harassment if:
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the behaviour is of a sexual nature
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it's unwanted
it violates someone's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them.
In return of promotion, salary hike there are a few employers who try to take sexual advantage or favours from female workers.
When it comes to female workers in low-wage jobs, the negative consequence of sexual harassment is the worse.
Apart from this any other unnecessary verbal activities or gestures like remarks about appearance, gender-based insulting comments, whistling, and cracking adult jokes come under sexual harassment.
This type of harassment even sometimes leads to molestation and rape in the workplace.
Pay inequality
It is one of the most significant issues that women employees must face at their workplace.
Most of the time despite of being more proficient and qualified than fellow male employees, women workers are paid less than males for the same amount of work.
Women are almost half of the workforce still they earn less than men workers in every single occupation.
According to researchers, occupational segregation due to gender and few other factors, play the significant role in pay equity at workplace.
During the last couple of decades, women have shown tremendous courage by opting jobs that were previously done exclusively by men.
Despite this commendable effort, there has been a little progress in the gender integration of work.
Women are still considered to be worthy to get low pay and their effort and hard work are undermined in front of male co-workers.
Even sometimes along with pay inequity, they face discrimination in respect of recruitment, salary hike, position up-gradation and many more.
Lesser women in the workforce
This is a persistent work problem in several developed nations of the world and has become a matter of concern for the analysts.
Studies have shown that in most of the multi-national companies the ratio between men and female employees are uneven.
Women are highly discriminated, and men always get an upper edge compared to women during recruitment.
Despite having all the required qualification, talent and expertise, women find it difficult to get selected for a position as several concepts like women are emotional, they are physically and mentally weak, can’t give sufficient time, maternity issues and several other things come in the way.
Chilly workplace environment and lack of family support
Increasing work pressure combined with chilly workplace environment seems to be another main factor that troubles women at workplace.
The importance of working in a supportive and healthy office atmosphere with a group of understanding colleagues can’t be overstated.
A personally fulfilling job and a handsome salary can’t even make a woman employee satisfied if she must spend her day at workplace with a group of unsupportive men colleagues.
This isolated feeling can lead to boredom and stress, gradually losing her efficiency and confidence.
Apart from this, lack of family support for household responsibilities is another major reason that leads to stress and conflicts for female workers who are trying to balance both job and family.
Poor security
Poor security at the workplace is another pivotal concern that women have to deal with.
Women working in night shifts fall victim of several crimes due to inadequate security arrangement by the higher management.
Incidents of driver or another male employee assaulting a woman worker in office transport has been reported every second day.
Due to lack of proper security arrangements by the company, women specially working in night shifts have become victims of rapes and sexual abuses.
The absence of role model at workplace
We learn by following the footsteps of others.
Even at workplace young professionals look up to senior counterparts to learn the tricks and trades of business.
In this male-dominated society women employees often don’t find a female role model to follow, so they have to seek help from male colleagues for guidance.
But the nuances in the communication style of men to a woman and lack of mentorship hinder the growth of women at workplace
Pregnancy discrimination
Pregnancy discrimination happens at the workplace when an employer discriminates a female worker based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions.
Pregnancy discrimination can comprise any kind of negative employment actions taken owing to an employee’s pregnancy or other related medical conditions, including dismissal or demoting a woman worker, restriction to work, treating a pregnant worker in differently than other temporarily disabled workers etc.
Though as per the law pregnancy and other related medical conditions related to it are considered as temporary disability, most of the employers deny giving benefits and same treatments to the women workers that they give to other employees with temporary disabilities.
Insufficient maternity leave
Insufficient maternity leave is another problem that troubles working women at the workplace.
After a certain period, the female worker must return to work regardless of the health and safety issues and condition of the baby and the employee herself, otherwise, she will be without pay.
This not only hampers their performance at the office but is also takes a toll to their personal lives.
In some private organizations, employers can even fire the female employee due to extended maternity leave.
Gender bias
Men are usually given an unfair advantage compared to the female employee, no matter the degree and qualification she has.
In this male dominating society, guys are considered more intelligent, efficient and hardworking than girls.
It is a common notion of everyone that women are weaker and taking care of family, kids is their main responsibility.
This gender discrimination in the workplace can lead to job dissatisfaction and stress in working women.
Due to this, a woman also lacks motivation and commitments towards her job.
Be it home or workplace, women are given lesser opportunity everywhere than men.