Welcome to a special edition of the Catalyst podcast, Breaking with Tradition filmed live at the 2024 Catalyst Awards! This is season 1, episode 3: What does Gen Z want in a workplace?

Everybody’s talking about the new multigenerational workplace—and for good reason. The newest generation, Generation Z, will soon make up over a third of the global population and a quarter of the global workforce.

Born after 1996, Gen Z is bringing new expectations and priorities to the workplace. From better work-life balance, a bigger investment in mental health, and their preference to work with companies that prioritize DEI, this generation is already making waves.

On this episode, join hosts Lucy and Victoria as they sit down with Remington Bennett, former Content Writer and Producer at The Female Quotient to talk about how the multi-generational workplace will shift future workplace cultures and priorities.

Our conversation will help you learn how companies can successfully manage the challenges a multigenerational workplace brings, while still accelerating diversity, equity, and inclusion progress.

Hosts and guest

Lucy Kallin, Executive Director, EMEA, Catalyst

LinkedIn | Bio

Victoria Kuketz, Director, Corporate Engagement, Canada, Catalyst

LinkedIn | Bio

Remington Bennett has diverse work experience spanning multiple industries. At the time of filming, they worked as a Content Producer at The Female Quotient since 2022. Prior to that, they held various roles at The New York Times from 2019 to 2022, including Assistant to the Managing Editor, Executive Assistant for Global Enterprise Subscriptions, and Executive Assistant for Advertising. From 2017 to 2019, they were a Production Coordinator to the Chief of Staff at OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.

Remington Bennett has pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast and Digital Journalism at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

LinkedIn

In this episode

• 1:44 | About Remington. Who is Remington Bennett and what is The Female Quotient all about?
• 2:44 | A clash of workplace values. Gen Z (or Gen Zed according to Lucy) is quickly changing the demographics at work—how do their ideas square with older generations?
• 5:18 | Leaving no one behind. How can the generations work together to accelerate DEI in an evolving workplace?
• 7:42 | Creating belonging cross-generation. Women in each generation share universal experiences that shape them.
• 10:34 | Mentorship works both ways. Regardless of age, professionals both young and old have something to teach each other.
• 11:23 | Misconceptions about Gen Z. How do we “close the gap” of the assumptions and stereotypes older generations may hold of Gen Z?
• 15:13 | Creating a space of safety, inspiration, and productivity. Prioritizing diversity creates a space where many voices have a seat at the table.
• 17:28 | Men as advocates for change. Remington shares a story about bringing together a powerful all-male panel to support gender equity in the workplace.

Favorite moments

• 4:00 | Remington: Now as we’re starting to come back to work, RTO, returning to the office, is top of mind for a lot of leaders. But younger generations are looking at that and saying, well, what’s happening to this workplace flexibility that we were experiencing before during the pandemic, is that now going to be desolate?
• 4:52 | Lucy: The dynamics have changed now… there’s [more of a sense that] we want a different world for this new generation that’s coming in.
• 7:05 | Remington: I think there needs to be more opportunities for mentorship for the two [generations] to come together, because… often there’s no communication between the two.
• 9:17 | Remington: When we connect with each other, let’s look for what’s similar about your life that’s similar about my life. Even though we exist in different times, how can I relate to you in a way that every human can?
• 14:03 | Remington: [On assumptions that Gen Z employees are ‘lazy’] I think it’s all about reframing how we have these conversations… Instead of assuming that they don’t want to do anything, ask questions first and then lead with empathy, lead with emotion, lead with vulnerability—that’s effective for this new generation.
• 15:30 | Victoria: When I think about what that really means [to have a truly inclusive workplace], it comes down to feeling safe, feeling inspired, and wanting to create and be productive and do something in the world.
• 16:13 | Remington: A story is the voices of many, right? And if you only have one type of person telling that story, then to the people reading or watching or looking at that story, they start to feel like their voice doesn’t matter.

Research you can use

• Generation Z, the Future Workforce (Trend Brief)
• 7 Lessons From 4 Generations on Working Together
• Retaining Frontline Retail Talent: Focus on Caregivers, People from Marginalized Racial and Ethnic Groups, and Gen Z

Statistics & References

• Deloitte: Understanding Generation Z in the workplace
• World Economic Forum: Gen Z Demands Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
• European Parliament: Next generation or lost generation? Children, young people and the pandemic

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The post Episode 103: What Does Gen Z Want in a Workplace? appeared first on Catalyst.

Enjoy the inaugural episode of Catalyst Spills the Tea, a video YouTube series where we spill the tea on the trend, “lazy girl jobs.” Coined by social media influencer Gabrielle Judge, the notion of “lazy girl jobs” has taken over the discussion on employees looking for better work-life balance.

Gen Z, in particular, is ushering in a new attitude towards work-life balance. No matter the generation, workplace expectations are shifting, with employees everywhere wanting more flexibility. “Lazy Girl jobs” are one example of how employees are taking to the internet to discuss their hacks for better work-life balance.

Coined by social media influencer Gabrielle Judge, the phrase is meant to describe a non-technical job where you have a comfortable salary, a lot of flexibility, and are not overworked. Are “Lazy Girl jobs” just healthy jobs? Does the term have a negative connotation for women? Why did this term cause such an uproar and what does it mean for talent recruiters, workplaces and the future of work?

• Danielle Shelton, Director, Talent Acquisition
• Tara Van Bommel, Senior Director, Statistician
• Host, Mariana Vanin, Director, Global Communications

About Catalyst Spills the Tea

Catalyst Spills the Tea is a video series where we discuss trending topics in workplace culture; gender equity; and diversity, equity and inclusion. We are all about creating equitable workplaces for everyone, so you won’t find people more obsessed with workplace culture more than us. Yes, we love research, but we also love memes, video shorts, pop culture, and debating hot trends just like the rest of you. We decided to bring our watercooler talk and infuse it with a little bit of our research in this video series. Essentially, we’re bringing the research receipts to #worktok. Buckle up!

Wait, what does “spill the tea” mean?

Spilling the tea is slang used to refer to gossip or news, popular on the Internet and social media.

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Transcript

00:00:04:00

Welcome to Catalyst Spills, the tea where we break down and discuss trending topics and diversity, equity and inclusion. Today I’m your host, Marianna Venning, director of Global Communications, and we’re spilling the tea on Lazy Girl jobs.

Tara, as a future of work researcher and Danielle, as a talent professional, what do you think of this trend and why it resonated with so many people, particularly with Gen Z, who talk to the trend quite fiercely on TikTok, where it originated?

00:00:41:26

Sure. Well, we’ll all happen and go first. It’s great to be here today and nice to see you, Danielle and Mariana, to talk about this. You know, I think really important topic. And, you know, I would really start off by saying that this trend is not really a new phenomenon. So two years ago, we called it quiet, quitting.

And in both cases, it reflects really a larger societal shift and pushback against hustle culture. So from the future of work perspective, this really fits under the broader theme of what we would call shifting work and life expectations. So really, after decades of increased productivity alongside wage stagnation and a skyrocketing cost of living, millennials and especially Gen Z are realizing that the notion of the American dream, you know, achieved by hard work in a meritocracy was really just a ruse.

But what we see in our research, regardless of the decade that someone was born, employees of all genders, and we just want greater flexibility. They want to be paid a living wage and they don’t want to sacrifice their well-being to do so.

00:01:50:24

Yep, I totally agree. And you know, when I’m connecting with candidates, one also thank you for having me and Tara. Fantastic. See you. And Marianne, I think true opportunity, you know, when I’m connecting with candidates, whether that’s, you know, for our roles at Catalyst or just in general, people are look at the biggest thing I hear from candidates is that I’m looking for a better work life balance.

00:02:12:03

What about the term, though, Right? The, the use of lazy use of girl to describe the concept, this kind of role, There’s a negative connotation. There’s a gendered component. Why? And what, if anything, does that signal? What’s the message that it sends?

00:02:35:18

The phrase itself suggests that women who want flexible work do not have the same career ambitions as men, and even worse, it equates them with children. You know, what I really like to think about is what do we call this role?

If it were a man seeking this position or a father, would we label him as a lazy boy? Would we recommend him or would we commend him for being a supportive caretaker?

00:03:01:05

Again, I think the the word choice that she used probably wasn’t the best. But I do love the fact that, you know, she was talking about, again, work life balance roles that you can have flexible work, flexible hours, but that still doesn’t mean that your job is easy. Another you know, I saw in the comment section like we were like, yeah, those jobs I have those jobs.

They aren’t easy. They are mentally draining that mentally draining still can take up, I mean, your mental capacity and then carry over into your work life balance. So again, I think word choice could have been a bit difference in the sense and I don’t think there is any job that is easier than the other.

00:03:42:25

And one thing that really stuck out to me when I watched the original video was she talked about how, you know, there’s so many jobs out there, you can just go get them and you could have this job and then you could be a mom and it would be so easy.

And that just really struck a chord with me because it is so just misguided in terms of like what what work is like and what it’s like to be a caretaker. There is no job out there where you can work and take care of children at the same time. Now, flexible work that allows you to do your work around your caregiving.

00:04:16:14

But to say that you could do both at the same time I thought was really problematic. And I have to say that I couldn’t help but wonder how many moms are out there watching, just thinking, you know, has she ever had a job and try to take care of a child before? Because those are full time things, that one does not happen at the same time as the other.

00:04:34:16

And really be able to frame your work centered around your life, right?

Not your life centered around your work, I think is really important, but it’s I think it’s hard to do that if you are unsure about how your work works. Right. And what those hours look like and whether they have flexible work and how they support caregivers and other people and their different lifestyles. So I think that’s another thing that when I was looking up some research behind this, there are quite a few companies and larger companies that are really defining what works and how they work as a work, which I think is really important for then people to really plan on how they want to live their life, which includes work.

00:05:14:02

So thank you both again, so, so much. This was such an enlightening conversation, and I’m sure our audience will feel the same. Thanks again.

00:05:26:05

Thank you. Thanks.

The post Video: Catalyst Spills the Tea on Lazy Girl Jobs appeared first on Catalyst.

Heather Foust-Cummings, Chief Research & Development Officer talks to lauded labor economist and 2023 winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, Dr. Claudia Goldin about her research and the significant impact childcare challenges have on women in the workplace. This interview was shared as part of the 2024 Catalyst Awards.

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Transcript

00:00:04.135
Every year businesses lose more than $12.7 billion due to childcare challenges. The lack of stability in childcare has an outsized impact on women. Catalyst found that in the United States,
roughly four in 10 women, or 44% say they will likely need to change jobs to balance childcare with work demands compared to 37% of men.

We sat down with Dr. Claudia Goldin, who recently won the Swedish Central Bank Prize in economic sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel for her extensive research on women in the labor market. She is just the third woman to win the prize and the first to do so solo.

00:00:54.795
Claudia, your work aligns directly with the Catalyst mission. Could you share how your research has followed the trajectory of women in the workplace?

00:01:04.545
Uh, certainly in the 1970s. And what’s interesting is it aligns perfectly with when Catalyst began and the Catalyst mission. We had revolutionary change, and I call that the quiet revolution. And some of that was set in motion by the fact that women began to be able to do a much better job controlling their own fertility. And the marriage age rose by quite a bit, and we pivoted from addressing and helping individual women to really focusing on corporations and making workplaces more inclusive, recognizing organizations and companies that had successfully advanced women.

00:01:47.775
Given the developments that we’re seeing in the labor force today, what is the work that we still need to do in order to achieve greater equity?

00:01:57.825
So there’s work in terms of care. So what we realized, the other thing that we realized during the pandemic was that school isn’t just teaching children. It’s actually keeping children safe and allowing individuals, mainly their parents to be productive citizens and productive workers. And we realized the tremendous importance of care. Couples are always faced with the problem that if they have care responsibilities, and in general, couples with children have great care responsibilities, both members of the couple cannot take that greedy job. They can both take a flexible job. Mm-Hmm.

But the, to the extent that the greedy job is really greedy, it means that you’re leaving a fair amount of money on the table. Well, it turns out that by and large, uh, when couples give up couple equity and one takes the greedy job and one takes the flexible job, they generally also throw gender equality under the bus with it. Because in general, it’s the woman who takes the flexible job.

She, by the way, also has the joys of seeing her kids do things first and do many things that her husband, the father of the child, might not have the ability to, to see and partake in.

And so even in jobs in which wages are fixed equal for men and women, men make a lot more because they are able to take, even for lower income jobs, the greedier job, it means that couples different sex or same sex couples are no longer going to have to give up as much couple equity.
And that’s important for everybody.

00:04:06.365
I think it’s so telling, when you talk about the contributions that women make, you talk about the value of what women are providing in the home. It, it’s something that is, uh, a personal passion of mine, uh, in terms of really addressing the issues of of marginalized groups, particularly racially and ethnically marginalized groups. And so, um, I think as you tell your story
of the history of, of the women’s movement and, um, women in the United States, I look forward to
that aspect of the story.

00:04:41.315
Certainly.

The post Video: Dr. Claudia Goldin Talks Childcare and Greedy Jobs appeared first on Catalyst.

Many organizations have seen the benefits—for their business outcomes and in support of their employees—of creating more flexible and remote workplaces. Catalyst research finds that employees with access to remote work report increased innovation, engagement, and commitment to their organizations and decreased levels of burnout and intent to leave their jobs. In fact, many workers who have had access to flexible and remote work during Covid-19 report that they would like to continue working in similar ways. Access to flexible and remote work is especially important for working parents affected by school and childcare closures.

What are the next steps—how can an organization make the goal of an inclusive flexible and remote work culture come alive?

Rethink workplace flexibility.
Rethinking workplace flexibility means redesigning the workplace and workday for broad flexibility around when, where, and how work gets done. Flexible work is not limited to only the location flexibility afforded through remote work. Schedule flexibility is also a way to bring more flexibility into your workplace—even for the frontline. In fact, research found that when workers had access to flexible schedules, they reported 29% higher productivity.

If you offer remote work options, build a remote-first culture.
“Remote first” means that even if people are required or choose to be onsite in hybrid workplaces, the default is remote work, such that policies and practices reflect this expectation, and everyone behaves as if they were working remotely to include their colleagues working from different locations or schedules. Remote-first behaviors also help to alleviate proximity bias, ensuring that people still receive career advancement opportunities regardless of schedule or location.

Be open to less rigid hybrid work plans—a flexible combination of remote and onsite work.
Combining the hybrid and remote-first approaches ensures that hybrid working doesn’t become the worst of both worlds, with unequal access to opportunities, creating disparate employee experiences and burnout from “always on” synchronous communication.

It is critical that organizations and leaders are careful not to create two tiers of workers, giving career advantages to those team members who want or need to be onsite more frequently. The environment must be inclusive to ensure that women, particularly women of color, are not left behind.

There is no one-size-fits-all path forward. Although some organizations will move closer to an all-remote model, with full choice around location and schedule flexibility, others will favor a more structured hybrid approach. Regardless of what model organizations implement, inclusive hybrid workplaces must be built purposefully to ensure equal access to career opportunity, the benefits of flexible and remote working, and addressing life/work needs.

Catalyst Resources

Practices

• Creating an Inclusive Hybrid Workplace Supporter Exclusive
  Work from home, remote work, flexible work arrangements: prior to March 2020, many employees around the world had little or no exposure to these concepts. While some organizations had built technological infrastructure and remote-work norms as part of their culture, others had not. The Covid-19 pandemic generated a need for companies to shift radically to implement remote work for office workers and a system of social distancing, testing, and other in-depth health and safety procedures for essential on-site workers. Seven organizations—Colliers, Dentons, EY, General Motors, GitLab, Hilti, and Pitney Bowes—shared their unique perspectives on constructing this new reality of work.
• The Hartford: A Deliberate and Courageous Transformation Supporter Exclusive
  Sustaining its unique company culture was fundamental to The Hartford’s Place of Purpose work model, which has foundational elements of empathy, equity, and trust. Two types of location-flexible work have been available since April 2022 in this model: Hybrid, where employees work two to three days a week remotely, and Remote, where employees work remotely four to five days a week. The model also includes In-office, where employees work in one of The Hartford’s offices five days a week. With these three options, the Place of Purpose model aligns business performance, collaboration, and flexibility.
• Barilla: An Italian Family-Owned Company’s Journey to Global Inclusion Supporter Exclusive
  Organizations with essential or frontline workers often struggle to bring more flexibility to their onsite workers. Barilla’s 2021 Catalyst Award-winning initiative discusses one of their programs to make flexible work available to all employees and addresses inclusive hybrid flexible work now and into the future: Smartworking.
• Deloitte: Inspiring Women Supporter Exclusive
  Deloitte’s different types of flex policies provide employees with a common language to help articulate their needs and request support from their managers and colleagues. Includes:
  • Place Flex: Employees can work remotely or in different offices as needed or desired for overall well-being.
  • Team Flex: Teams on-site with clients may work flexibly so that each individual can have work-life balance.
  • Time Flex: Employees can set their own start and stop times each day to maximize productivity.

Infographic

• 10 Models of Workplace Flexibility
  Models and best practices for building a remote-first and flextime-first work culture.

Online Learning

• Knowledge Burst: Leading Your Hybrid Team Inclusively Supporter Exclusive
• Knowledge Burst: Beyond Remote—Flexibility Is Key Supporter Exclusive
• Knowledge Burst: Running More Inclusive Meetings Supporter Exclusive

Ask Catalyst Express

• Flexible Work Arrangements

Other Resources

• How Companies Stopped Worrying and Are Giving Workers the Hybrid Workplace They Want Fast Company
• The Advantages and Challenges of Hybrid Work Gallup
• Hybrid-Remote: Understanding Nuances and Pitfalls GitLab
• What Is Hybrid Work? The Employer’s Guide to Hybrid Workplaces Kumospace
• Hybrid Work Is Here to Stay. Here Are 7 Ways to Manage Your Workforce MIT Sloan

Return to Ask Catalyst Express.

The post Inclusive Hybrid Workplaces: Ask Catalyst Express appeared first on Catalyst.

Flexible work arrangements are part of “work-life effectiveness,” a talent-management strategy that promotes work environments capable of responding to changes in business needs quickly, creatively, and efficiently while providing employees the control they need to work smarter, address their non-work priorities, and be resilient and effective. A work-life effectiveness approach fosters strong performances by both individuals and organizations over the long term.

Catalyst Resources

Infographic

• 10 Models of Workplace Flexibility
  Models and best practices for building a remote-first and flextime-first work culture.

Reports

• Remote-Work Options Can Boost Productivity and Curb Burnout
  Remote work is here to stay. Catalyst research demonstrates that remote work can increase productivity and decrease burnout.
• The Great Work/Life Divide in Canada
  Catalyst-CNBC survey finds unfulfilled desire for flexible and/or remote work during the pandemic.
• The Great Work/Life Divide in the United States
  How employee desire for flexibility and concern from companies is driving the future of work.

Online Learning

• Knowledge Burst: Beyond Remote – Flexibility is Key Supporter Exclusive
• Knowledge Burst: Leading Your Hybrid Team Inclusively Supporter Exclusive
• Knowledge Burst: Running More Inclusive Meetings Supporter Exclusive

Practices

• UPMC: Care and Culture Starts and Ends With People: Executive Workforce Demographics Supporter Exclusive
  Flexible work offerings are important in attracting a greater number of applicants across job scope and function. Depending on their roles and department practices, employees can now work remotely, choose and alter their start or end times for shifts, or use compressed workweeks (e.g., a four-day week or weekends only, which is popular among nurses).
• Boston Scientific: Accelerating Progress for Women by Creating Equal Opportunities for Growth Supporter Exclusive
  The company established its Workflex policy to provide employees with more options for the ways they can get their work done. The policy allows them to work at a reduced schedule, work flexible hours, participate in a job share with another part-time employee, and work onsite, hybrid, or remotely. All employees have access to at least some aspects of Workflex (e.g., a lab scientist might not be able to work remotely, but they can work flexibly), and the program may be used regardless of reason.
• How We Lead With Inclusion Through Crisis: Covid-19 Response Stories From Catalyst Supporters Supporter Exclusive
  Eight Catalyst Supporters—Bell Canada, Chevron, Deloitte Australia, ExxonMobil, EY, Pitney Bowes, Royal DSM, and Unilever—shared their stories of how they’re reimagining the future of work, leading with inclusion through crisis, tackling inequities, connecting with empathy, developing trust on teams, and working remotely and flexibly to successfully navigate these unprecedented times.
• Deloitte: Inspiring Women Supporter Exclusive
  Deloitte Flex Policies—Different types of flex policies provide employees with a common language to help articulate their needs and request support from their managers and colleagues. Includes:
  • Travel Flex: Employees may turn down travel on a short-term basis without career penalty.
  • School Flex: Employees can purchase additional annual leave to utilize during school holidays.
  • Micro Flex: Employees may take short breaks for appointments such as the dentist, meetings at school, etc. They are encouraged to indicate these in a shared calendar and make reasons visible, so flexible working becomes the norm.
  • Hours Flex: Employees may work part-time and still continue to advance in their careers.

Tools

• Enhancing Inclusive Employee Experiences: Scenario Planning for the Future of Work Supporter Exclusive 
  Catalyst analyzed four different scenarios of the future of work to better understand shifts related to Covid-19 and illustrate examples of policies and practices to move your organization toward a more inclusive and equitable post-pandemic workplace, including Flexible and Remote Work to Build Inclusive Teams.

Webinars

• Developing Inclusive and Flexible Teams Supporter Exclusive 
• Working Remotely: The Global Impact on Employee Experiences Supporter Exclusive 
• Being Intentional About Inclusion in Flexible and Remote Work Supporter Exclusive 

Ask Catalyst Express

• Inclusive Hybrid Workplaces

Other Resources

• Flexible Working Practices The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
• Extremely Transparent & Incredibly Remote Fast Company
• Why Flexible Work Is Essential to Your DEI Strategy Harvard Business Review
• Americans Are Embracing Flexible Work—and They Want More of It McKinsey & Company

Return to Ask Catalyst Express.

The post Flexible Work Arrangements: Ask Catalyst Express appeared first on Catalyst.

In August 2014, I decided to quit my full-time corporate job to spend time with my son, who was two and a half years old at the time. The immense joy I experienced bonding with him was quickly tarnished by feelings of guilt for not contributing financially to our home for the first time in my life, despite being in no financial need.

This sense of guilt transformed into a loss of my sense of self: Was I still a man if I did not contribute financially to the well-being of my family? Was my desire to take care of my son legitimate? And what did this questioning say about my perceptions of women and caregiving?

This challenging experience revealed deep-rooted biases I had about gender roles and caregiving. Many of us harbor these biases, and often they are revealed at gendered holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Mother’s Day and Fathers’ Day are important celebrations recognizing the role and impact of parental figures in our lives. However, many workplaces still lack the culture and infrastructure to assist and accommodate the parents and caregivers in their employ. Many parents still face difficulties in making work work for their needs.

Getting Past the Stigma Faced by Working Parents

Parents and caregivers are stigmatized in the workplace, even today, regardless of their gender identity. And while women’s careers can be stunted by their caregiving responsibilities, caregiving men often feel they can’t even commit to those responsibilities without feeling judged for doing so.

The burden of unpaid work remains a significant barrier for mothers in the paid labor force. A 2018 analysis showed that across the world, women perform more than three-quarters (76.2%) of unpaid care work—including looking after children, spouses, partners, or other family members.

Working mothers still face discrimination and judgment in the workplace and often experience a “motherhood penalty” including bias and reduced opportunities at work. As Business Insider says, “The motherhood penalty is a term describing career challenges women face after having a child. It’s based on biased, stereotypical views of mothers, like the notion that they’re less productive.” These biases can lead to fewer opportunities for women to advance in their careers or to make choices that benefit their families, such as taking time off to care for a sick child.

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed and exacerbated women’s time spent on unpaid household and caregiving responsibilities. Globally, according to Bloomberg, women spent three times as many hours on unpaid childcare in 2020 than men—an average of 173 additional hours versus 59. A Catalyst-CNBC survey also revealed that 41% of mothers working in the US said they believed they had to hide their caregiving struggles from their employer. Unequal distribution of caregiving and lack of support from employers remain barriers for women at work even after the pandemic, the Washington Post showed.

Men who take on caregiving responsibilities often face a significant amount of social stigma and pressure to conform to traditional gender roles. In the workplace, this can manifest in a number of ways, such as the assumption that fathers are less committed to their careers or less capable of balancing work and family responsibilities.

Catalyst released a groundbreaking report revealing that 94% of men experience masculine anxiety in the workplace. Masculine anxiety is the distress men feel when they do not think they are living up to society’s rigid standards of masculinity. It’s often heightened by combative work cultures.

Men at work are largely not okay. The anxiety preventing them from interrupting sexism at work is the same anxiety preventing men from admitting failure, asking for help, or taking advantage of flexible workplace policies such as remote work, vacation days, and parental leave.

Men may also feel pressure to prioritize their careers over their families, even when they desire to be more involved in their children’s lives.

This pressure can make it difficult for men to take advantage of family-friendly policies and benefits without fear of being stigmatized or losing status in the workplace. As a result, many men may choose not to take advantage of these policies, which can continue to perpetuate traditional gender roles and stereotypes. Additionally, these men will miss the opportunity to spend more time with their children.

Embrace a Holistic View of Caregiving

How can we stop the penalization of women caregivers and normalize men caregivers at work? It starts with de-emphasizing the gender of the carer. Instead of “maternity leave” and “paternity leave,” we can circulate the gender-neutral term “parental leave.” Instead of talking about who has to leave early because they are a “mom,” we can say they are working flex to accommodate childcare responsibilities. Better yet, we can say they are working flex, and leave it at that.

It’s also important to recognize that caregiving responsibilities go beyond parenting, and can include caring for elderly or disabled relatives, partners, and friends. Many members of the workforce are caring for someone other than their own children. These caregivers often face similar stigmas and challenges as parents, and it’s important for leaders in the workplace to acknowledge and support their needs as well.

By expanding our understanding of caregiving, we can create a workplace culture that is more inclusive and supportive of all caregivers, regardless of their relationship to the person they are caring for. This can include offering resources and benefits that are relevant to a wide range of caregiving responsibilities, such as flexible work arrangements, access to mental health resources, and support groups for caregivers.

By taking a holistic approach to caregiving, we can create a workplace culture that values and supports all employees and helps them balance their personal and professional responsibilities.

Take Action

Leaders in organizations have a unique opportunity to create a workplace culture that values caregiving responsibilities and supports caregivers.

Here are five practical steps that leaders can take to degender care and support caregivers of all genders:

Offer flexible work arrangements: Leaders can provide flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting or flexible hours, to accommodate the caregiving responsibilities of caregivers.

Provide access to affordable childcare: Leaders can partner with childcare providers or offer subsidies to support working parents.

Provide gender-free paid leave for caregiving responsibilities: Leaders can offer paid leave for caregiving responsibilities, such as caring for sick family members or newborns, to support caregivers regardless of their gender identity.

Address bias in performance evaluations: Leaders can address gender bias in performance evaluations, such as assumptions that mothers are less committed to their jobs, to ensure that all caregivers are evaluated fairly.

Address systemic barriers: Leaders can address systemic barriers that prevent men caregivers and working mothers from accessing opportunities for career development and advancement, such as unconscious bias or outdated policies.

Photo of the author by Marina, Your Local Photographer, Cartagena

The post Beyond the Binary for Mother’s and Father’s Day (Blog Post) appeared first on Catalyst.

During this roundtable, we will unpack the effect and stigma of the menopause, which emerging at the intersection of age and gender is a particularly difficult time for women.

What aspects of work does the menopause intersect? Be it ageism, mental health and wellbeing and gender pension gap, we want to hear from you.

Also, learn how to build a successful menopause strategy from normalising the conversation to integrating menopause into other DEI programmes; and importantly, how simple adjustments can make a big difference.

For questions, contact Simona Fontanella.

Note: Please log in to the website with your Catalyst Supporter organization email to access registration. If you are NOT a Catalyst Supporter, please email us to proceed with payment and registration. Webinar topics, descriptions, dates and times are subject to change. For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

The post VIRTUAL EMEA ROUNDTABLE – Unpacking Menopause in the workplace appeared first on Catalyst.

In a recent poll on Catalyst’s Twitter and LinkedIn, we asked what mothers most wanted from their employer for Mother’s Day. What should employers provide mothers to create equity?

The resounding response was “equal pay.” This is not surprising. Research shows US mothers earn just 75 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic fathers.

But we also know flexible work, paid leave, and childcare are critical.

Here are some actions employers can take:

• Close the pay gap.
• Develop and implement paid leave policies. One study found that when employers increase paid leave benefits, there is a 50% decline in attrition of new mothers.
• Offer remote and workplace flexibility.
• Provide childcare support by committing to develop innovative solutions and policies to ensure that everyone can participate in the workplace.

The post 4 Ways Employers Can Support Mothers in the Workplace appeared first on Catalyst.

Catalyst-CNBC survey finds unfulfilled desire for flexible and/or remote work during the pandemic.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the “Great Reset,” workplace flexibility has come to dominate discussions of how businesses move forward.

Since March 2020, companies have relied on flexibility to ensure their business models would not falter, even as they planned for employees to return to the office. Employees learned to appreciate flexibility and now expect it as they manage new personal and professional challenges. Companies are starting to understand that they must be agile and responsive to these shifts; they must create real culture change that ensures employees can flex when and where they work and that their dispersed workforces have equitable resources to succeed.

But do employees believe their organisations value flexibility? Are employees’ needs being met equitably? What is driving their willingness to make career changes?

We sought to answer these questions in a study of 502 full and part-time employees in Canada, commissioned by Catalyst and CNBC, and conducted online by The Harris Poll in October 2021. The data highlight the pandemic’s continued impact on employees’ desire for flexibility and to live more fulfilling lives. Regardless of location, nearly three in four employees (74%) want their employer to make work permanently flexible. But employees are also getting conflicting messages from their employers about the value of onsite versus remote work.

Companies should be concerned. The data show that it is important to dispel misconceptions that favor onsite work and create opportunities for employees to thrive whenever and wherever they work. This report extends the research we conducted on the US work/life divide.

Key Takeaways

• Employees Are Receiving Conflicting Messages About Onsite and Remote Work—Despite nearly three quarters of employees (74%) saying that their employer supports flexible work options related to work location, and nearly two-thirds (63%) saying the same of flexible work schedules, employees are still getting the message that onsite work is preferred: Most employees believe their employer thinks that employees are more innovative (69%) and work harder (67%) when onsite. These conflicting messages reveal a disconnect about the value of flexible work.
• Companies Need to Better Support Remote Employees—Only 43% of fully remote employees say their employer has implemented practices or policies since the pandemic that have positively impacted their willingness to stay on the job. And only 23% of remote employees say that their manager regularly asks about their non-work life.
• Employees Are Prioritizing Flexibility in Career Decision-Making—Nearly half of employees (48%) intend to make a career change because of the pandemic. This is true for both remote and onsite employees (55% and 42% respectively). For those who intend to make changes, two in five (40%) plan to ask for remote-work flexibility.
• Employees Desire More Fulfilling Lives—In addition to career changes, many people want to have more fulfilling jobs and lives. Employees want higher pay (42%), more flexibility around where they work (30%), a job with more purpose (23%), to be their own boss (13%), and/or to take a step back from their career and focus on their personal life (13%).
• Companies Must Understand Parents’ Concerns—Among working parents of kids ages 3-17, 72% are afraid their children will get Covid-19 at school, and 66% think their ability to do their best work has been impacted by worries over sending their children back to school in the pandemic. More than half (52%) feel burned out at work from managing their children’s education needs during Covid-19.

Demographics

Employees Think Their Employer Devalues Remote Work—Despite Support for Flexible Work Options

More than seven of 10 employees working in Canada feel that their employer (74%) and manager (75%) understand their need to manage life and work demands. The same proportion (74%) say their employer supports flexible work options related to work location and nearly two-thirds (63%) say the same of flexible work schedules. Interestingly, fully onsite employees (72%) are more likely than remote employees (46%) to think their employer supports flexible work schedule options.

But there is a disconnect. Employees are also getting the message that onsite work is more valued than remote work:

• 69% say their employer believes employees are more innovative when they are onsite.
  • Fully remote employees (87%) are more likely than onsite employees (56%) to say this.
• 67% say their employer believes employees work harder onsite.
  • Fully onsite employees (77%) are more likely than remote employees (52%) to say this.

Employers should be concerned. Regardless of location, nearly three in four employees (74%) want their employer to make work permanently flexible. But employees are getting the message that their organisation prefers onsite work, and the profile of this messaging varies between fully remote and onsite employees. This raises questions about retaining talent who may feel some pressure to work in a way that doesn’t work for them. It is important to dispel misconceptions that favor onsite work and create opportunities for employees to thrive whenever and wherever they work.

Fully Remote Employees Need Support

Throughout the pandemic, companies have had ample opportunity to show how much they value their employees by supporting them and alleviating struggles they may be experiencing. Yet:

• Only 23% of remote employees say that their manager regularly asks about their non-work life—showcasing that few managers are demonstrating empathy or care and concern during this prolonged crisis.
• 17% of remote employees say their mental health has suffered due to ongoing struggles during the pandemic. While there are many factors that affect a person’s mental health, companies must pay close attention to providing support for employees’ well-being wherever they work.
• 43% of remote employees say their employer has implemented practices or policies since the pandemic that have positively impacted their willingness to stay on the job. While this is a significant portion of remote employees, it also indicates that more than half do not share this view. Companies must assess who benefits from initiatives and who is being left behind, and then rethink how to support all remote employees so they don’t lose them.

Employees Want Career Changes Because of the Pandemic

Nearly half of employees (48%) intend to make a career change because of the pandemic. This is true for both remote and onsite employees, and two in five plan to ask for remote work flexibility.

Among those who intend to make a career change, the most common reasons are wanting location flexibility (40%) and wanting a raise and/or promotion (27%). Other reasons include looking for another job in a new industry (25%), looking for another job in the same industry (22%), and wanting to start their own business (10%).

The Pandemic Is Motivating Employees’ Desire for More Fulfilling Lives

In addition to career changes, many people want to have more fulfilling jobs and lives. Companies must ask hard questions about what their employees actually want and then actively respond; otherwise they may lose talent.

The top items employees said they wanted were: higher pay (42%); more flexibility around where they work (30%) and the hours they work (27%); a job with more purpose (23%); to be their own boss (13%); and to take a step back from their career and focus on their personal life (13%).

Parents’ Unique Concerns Lurk

It is not surprising that working parents continue to face distinct challenges and stressors during the pandemic, even with the return of in-person school. Indeed, 72% of working parents are afraid their children will get Covid-19 at school, and 66% think their ability to do their best work has been impacted by worries over sending their children back to school in the pandemic.

While 45% of working parents say their employer has improved their childcare offerings/policies since last year, 52% feel burned out at work from managing their children’s education needs during Covid-19. This suggests that even with improved company childcare policies, parents could use more support from their employers.

These concerns likely connect to differences between working parents’ and non-parents’ unfilled needs at work and their willingness to stay on the job. Working parents are more likely than non-parents to:

• Intend to make career changes as a result of the pandemic.
• Desire more flexibility around the hours they work.
• Want higher pay.

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Catalyst between October 8-11, 2021, among 502 Canadian adults ages 18+ employed full-time or part-time, among whom 256 are men, 246 are women, and 175 are parents of kids ages 3-17. Results were weighted for age within gender, region, race/ethnicity, household income, education, and size of household where necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.

This is the second installment of an online survey focused on understanding preferences when it comes to working onsite and remotely as well as to gain insight on what is important to working parents. The first report, The Great Work/Life Divide in the United States: How Employee Desire for Flexibility and Concern From Companies Is Driving the Future of Work, highlighted somewhat similar patterns among full- and part-time employees in the United States.

How to cite this product: The great work/life divide in Canada. (2022). Catalyst.

The post The Great Work/Life Divide in Canada (Report) appeared first on Catalyst.