Women in Workplace
The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls is excited to share resources from LeanIn.Org to help increase awareness about the challenges facing women, and particularly women of color, in the workplace. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into stark relief the disparities between women and men, and the additional burdens placed on women of color. Addressing these significant disparities is critical to ensuring the economic security of women and their families.
Women in the Workplace Reports
The Women in the Workplace Report is LeanIn.Org’s annual study – and is the largest study of the state of women in corporate America. A year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic, women have made important gains in representation, and especially in senior leadership. But the pandemic continues to take a toll. Women are now significantly more burned out—and increasingly more so than men.
Despite this added stress and exhaustion, women are rising to the moment as stronger leaders and taking on the extra work that comes with this: compared to men at the same level, women are doing more to support their teams and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. They are also more likely than men to practice allyship. Yet this critical work is going unrecognized and unrewarded by most companies, and that has concerning implications. Companies risk losing the very leaders they need right now, and it’s hard to imagine organizations navigating the pandemic and building inclusive workplaces if this work isn’t truly prioritized.
The State of Black Women in Corporate America
To shine a light on the barriers holding Black women back at work, LeanIn.Org has released a new report, The State of Black Women in Corporate America. The report draws on several years of LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company’s research on the experiences of Black women in the workplace, as well as research conducted by Lean In and SurveyMonkey. It outlines specific steps companies should take to make sure Black women are treated fairly and given equal opportunities to learn, grow and lead.
For years, Lean In has urged employers to make their workplaces equal for women. The only way to do this is to center on the women who are most marginalized. If employers want to do better by women, they must do better by Black women.
How COVID-19 is Impacting Women
Even before COVID-19, women were playing on an uneven field. Now the pandemic is making everything worse. Women have been losing their jobs at higher rates than men. They are disproportionately represented in hourly jobs that don’t offer paid sick leave. And women of color are more likely to be risking their own health as front-line workers.
LeanIn.Org conducted a series of surveys, in partnership with Survey Monkey, to find out how COVID-19 is affecting women’s finances, job security, home life, and overall well-being. And because no one’s experience is universal, they sought out specific insight into the experiences of single mothers, essential workers, and women of color.
50 Ways to Fight Bias in the Workplace
50 Ways to Fight Bias is a card-based activity that highlights 50 specific examples of gender bias in the workplace and offers research-backed recommendations for what to do. It is an interactive program where employees learn about bias with a short video and discuss what actions they can take when bias occurs in the workplace. The program is designed to be conversational and inclusive of men. This program was developed in partnership with the Stanford VMWare Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab and Paradigm.
To bring 50 Ways to your company, reach out to partners@leanin.org
Lean In Circles
Circles are small peer groups that meet regularly to support one another and learn new skills. In a world where women still face gender bias and other barriers at work, Circles are a safe space to share experiences, build each other up, and cheer each other on. Whether your organization’s goal is skill development, retention, or mentorship at scale, you can tailor your Circles program to complement your existing diversity and inclusion efforts or use this program to get started.
To bring Lean In Circles to your company, reach out to partners@leanin.org