Pandemic-driven lockdowns forced many women to choose between work and family, setting women’s labor force participation back decades. Jen Colleta addresses what HR can do to stop this alarming trend.
Colleta says the statistics are stark:
- More than 5 million payroll jobs held by women were lost in 2020.
- Of those women, nearly 2.5 million left the workforce entirely in the last year.
- In December 2020, women accounted for a stunning 100% of job losses
Nearly half of women have become either much less or somewhat less likely to want to return fulltime to the physical workplace, compared to six months ago. While about a quarter of both men and women reported* they preferred a hybrid arrangement, men said they would ideally work in-office three to four days, while women hoped to be there two to three days.
* Perceptyx study
Source: Human Resource Executive, May 2021, page 8. Link.
“While employers should be focused on retaining their female talent, they also need to think about inviting back those who’ve left in the last year. Hybrid setups, enhanced flexibility and strong leave plans are good tools to attract new female employees, but organizations also need to communicate transparently about expectations—from recruiting to onboarding and throughout the employee lifecycle” – Pamela Cohen, PhD
INSIGHTS: Despite the troubling metrics and issues shared by Coletta, I believe animal health pros have a significant opportunity to use hybrid approaches to engage and service animal owners. Veterinary teams have long been challenged by the 24/7 needs of animal owners and their animals. Adding tele-everything into the mix of solutions in our industry will streamline customer engagement, reduce dependence on brick-and-mortar staffing and continue to create opportunities for work-from-home positions.