Story at a glance
- The results of a new report found working women are burned out.
- About 53 percent of women surveyed said their stress levels are higher now than they were a year ago.
- Another 10 percent said they were actively looking for another job, citing burnout as the top reason driving them away.
Working women are burned out and experiencing high levels of stress, with many saying work flexibility is not a reality for them.
A new report compiled by global consulting firm Deloitte, titled Women @ Work 2022: A Global Outlook, surveyed 5,000 women across the world to understand how their experiences in the workplace impact affect engagement and career growth.
The results were bleak, with 53 percent of women surveyed saying their stress levels are higher now than they were a year ago and half feel burned out. That’s in addition to nearly 40 percent of women indicating they were actively looking for a new employer, an indication that the Great Resignation is set to continue.
The COVID-19 pandemic upended the U.S. labor market in an unprecedented way, with widespread job losses causing the period to be known as the Great Resignation. Pew Research found the nation’s “quit rate” reached a 20-year high in November 2021.
Though the pandemic created a shift to remote work, allowing workers to complete their job responsibilities from home and away from the office, Deloitte’s report found just 33 percent of women said their employer offered flexible working policies.
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Only 22 percent of women said their employer offered flexibility around where and when they could work, while 94 percent believe requesting flexible working will affect their likelihood of promotion. That’s in addition to 90 percent of women saying they believe their workloads won’t be adjusted accordingly even if they were to request flexible-working options.
Deloitte also found the number of women looking for a new job this year increased since the firm conducted the same survey last year, with 10 percent saying they were actively looking and 40 percent of that group citing burnout as the top reason driving them away.
High burnout levels are largely experienced by women in middle-management roles and younger women, aged 18 to 25. Women in ethnic-minority groups are also more likely to feel burned out than those who are not in a minority group.
Part-time workers were almost 10 percent more likely to say they feel burned out than those who work full-time and far less likely to say they get adequate mental health support from their employers.
“The number of women reporting increased stress and burnout is of significant concern, and employers are struggling to address it as seen by the fact that burnout is the top driver for those women currently looking for new employment. The findings of this research show the importance of actions beyond policy—those that truly address and embed wellbeing, flexibility, and a respectful and inclusive ‘everyday culture’,” said Emma Codd, global inclusion leader at Deloitte, in a statement.
Deloitte offered solutions for employers to try to retain their female workforce, starting with addressing the burnout epidemic. That means identifying and addressing misalignments or mismatches — the difference between an employee’s expectations and the reality they’re experiencing.
Another problem employers can address is their flexible working policies and making a clear commitment to those who wish to work flexibly. That means gaining support by leaders and managers to ensure flexible working arrangements can be made without fear of penalties.
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