The pandemic certainly upended a lot of lives—emotionally, physically, socially, financially—and it’s no secret that working women, mothers especially, are shouldering a lot of the burden. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the United States, women make up over 60 percent of the public relations industry. With the heightened increase in importance of communications during COVID, female employees are no doubt stretched farther than ever.
In light of Women’s History Month, PRNEWS took a look at what the industry is doing to help working mothers and caretakers in their time of need. Time will tell what impact this year of remote working and flexible scheduling will have on the future of the workplace. But many companies are taking this time to reevaluate the demands on their employees, and how they can create more suitable environments for women to thrive.
COVID-19’s Impact on Working Women
Affect, a public relations, marketing and social media agency, released the findings of a recent survey exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women in the workplace.
The report revealed a disproportionate weight that the pandemic has had on women, particularly working mothers, who have experienced declines in income, job growth and job performance while also taking on added responsibilities at home.
Findings included the fact that 24 percent of working mothers considering leaving the workforce permanently as a result of working in the pandemic, compared to just six percent of working fathers. And this trend may already be starting. Currently, 68 percent of men said they are working full time, compared to about half of women (49 percent).
And many moms have had to cut their work schedule to care for their families. About one in four working moms (24 percent) said they reduced their work hours to take care of children or a family member over the last year, compared to about one in six working dads (17 percent) and about one in 10 (11 percent) non-parents. Twenty-one percent of working moms even took a temporary leave of absence to handle increased caregiving or household responsibilities.
And the results of these reductions do not provide any solace for working moms. Forty percent of women and 53 percent of working moms said they make less money now than they did before the pandemic. Thirty-two percent of working moms said their job performance declined during the pandemic.
What Women Want
Women know what they want to make their lives easier. The results provide some necessary insights for employers.
A majority of women (52 percent) agree that a pay increase would help fuel their success. But time and flexibility is also important. Being in an office promotes ideas and teamwork, but as the pandemic has shown, women can get the work done anywhere and everywhere. Thirty seven percent of the women surveyed (and 38 percent of working moms) said they would achieve more success in their jobs if they were offered flexible schedules. Twenty-four percent of working moms said they would be more successful if they had more paid time off.
And another issue constantly giving working moms stress? Child care. More than one in four working moms (26 percent) expressed a desire for more child care support from their employers.
Sandra Fathi, president of Affect, commented on the continuing problems, and the need for change.
“Considering that women were already in a position where they experienced inequity across so many facets of the workplace, we need to take immediate steps to stop that gap from widening even further by offering the flexibility, support and growth opportunities that women desperately need in the workplace right now to ensure their success both at work and at home, and not be in a position of sacrificing one for the other.”
Companies Evolving
Organizations, and working mom executives themselves, experienced many of these issues during the pandemic. For some, change can’t come soon enough, and new ideas and ways of thinking are emerging.
In early March, SourceCode Communications launched a purpose-driven agency for working moms called WeRaise PR. It is the industry’s first agency founded to support and advance the careers of working moms and caregivers. WeRaise acknowledges the difficulties of the PR industry in retaining top female talent.
Moon Vitiello, managing director of the agency and a working mom, confirms its commitment to the importance and value of caregiving, while providing a workplace free of maternal bias.
“Seventy percent of the industry is women, but our representation at the leadership level is tilted,” Vitiello said. “If we actually want to make sure that working mothers advance and succeed, there has to be change, there has to be benchmarks and goals, and there has to be accountability for the failure to do so. Flexible hours? Yes, you can have that. Plus long-term benefits like health insurance, paid parental leave, childcare stipend. It’s not either/or. It’s both.”
WeRaise allows employees to decide which tier of work they’d be interested in, as well as what benefits they need to make life-work integration possible. The four tiers include First-Stepper, which includes a schedule of under 15 hours per week with flexible working hours, to Graduate, which includes childcare stipends, health insurance options, unlimited PTO and 401K eligibility, as well as six months of paid parental leave.
“What can we offer you that will make you a better employee, a better parent?” Vitiello asked. “For example, no meetings or calls before 9AM, because I have school drop-offs, or on Thursdays my kid has weekly physical therapy sessions so I'll be offline for an hour...we'll make sure you get that.”
However, Vitiello said, for the system to work, clients need to understand and believe in this mission and respect the structure. For the agency, it holds its employees in the highest regard.
“We believe you can thrive in your career without compromising your personal life and your family,” she said. “The biggest takeaway is that you have to treat your employees like partners. Many companies have a "we'll be your partner" attitude toward their clients, but that mindset has to be with your employees first.”
Momentum Worldwide also sought to support working parents, and help women continue on their career path. Donnalyn Smith, an industry veteran, president for North America, and a working mom, said the company believes “that there is incredible value in your time both inside and outside of work.”
To promote career stability, Momentum offers parental coaching to all parents going on leave to ensure a smooth transition exiting the workplace and reentering, especially as a new parent, as well as flexible working arrangements. Momentum also offers Project Project, a program designed to support women re-entering the industry after taking extended time off to raise families or care for others. The program is designed to immerse skilled marketing creatives in a re-entry learning program, and is then followed by the opportunity to join the agency via freelance or in a full-time role.
“[These policies] better support our people, ensuring we have a balance to do our best work,” Smith said.
Nicole Schuman is senior editor for PRNEWS. Follow her @buffalogal