Top Issues Women Still Face at Work (How to Deal with Them)

Despite the recent changes and developments in gender equality, women still face many issues at work. Equal pay is still a problem in many companies, even with so many movements and real efforts being made to close the gap. We’re still a long way from equal pay, but the increasing awareness is helping women to get fair compensation for their expertise.

Unfortunately, there are other issues that working women face regularly. Knowing more about these issues and how to deal with them are the first steps to take towards creating a better working environment for women.

Work-Life Balance

The issue of work-life balance is usually framed with a narrative about working moms. In reality, the work-life balance is just as important for male workers as it is for women in different professions. The recent startup boom has caused long working hours to become more common, eliminating the possibility of balance altogether.

In reality, employees who have a better balance between work, personal life and family are more productive and produce better results than those who are prioritizing work over everything else. In fact, a small number of businesses are starting to take these studies seriously, promoting work-life balance as part of the corporate culture.

There are ways to achieve better balance without sacrificing productivity. Flexible schedules and remote working allow women to be as productive – if not more productive – than their male counterparts while maintaining good balance. Better family leave and other supporting policies are also improving the productivity levels of both male and female workers.

Unpaid Wages and Overtime

The regulation on wages and overtime is very clear, but that doesn’t stop corporations from taking advantage of wording and loopholes to avoid paying overtime. Some even go as far as reducing the accounted hours worked and paid wages altogether. Sales officers who need to visit customers, for example, often find their pay reduced because the time they spend on the road isn’t taken into account.

According to prominent unpaid wage lawyer Celler Legal, these issues are quite common among larger employers. If you currently have unpaid wages and unpaid overtime, the first thing you need to do is communicate with your employer. You can also choose to file a claim with an overtime lawyer should the issue not be resolved through an internal discussion.

Improper Treatment

We’re seeing a decline in the number of work-related sexual harassment cases being reported, but that doesn’t mean female workers are safe from sexism and unfair treatment in the workplace. It is a problem that many still face on a regular basis. Having your ideas dismissed during a meeting just because you are a female worker is a good example of improper, unfair treatment.

There is no better way to deal with this type of treatments than speaking up. Don’t hesitate to convey your ideas and to express complaints when you’re treated poorly. Staying quiet no longer works, since it will only make the negative treatment more common and accepted.

Similar to equal pay, there are movements and real efforts being made to fight these issues. Women need to take more active steps to support a better working environment for everyone. Only then can we eliminate these problems completely.