Flexibility at work is top concern for women

A report uncovering what Australian women want in the workforce has revealed flexible work is a must.

The What Women Want report came from a survey of 769 people for WORK180, a jobs network for women. Those who took part were mainly aged between 26 to 46.

Zero tolerance for sexual harassment came in second place. Pay transparency and inclusive hiring policies were also top priorities.

Transparency happens to be most sought-after among Gen Z, an age group that will represent nearly 25 per cent of the workforce next year.

“Pay transparency can range from publicising gender pay gaps (a legal requirement in 2024 for many companies in the UK and Australia) to openly sharing the salaries of each individual in the organisation,” the report said.

“The ‘right’ level of transparency depends on your workplace but, at the core, women want and need policies and practices that make productive conversations around pay possible.”

Menopause policies

Given that at any given time approximately a quarter of the workforce is going through menopause, it’s not too surprising that 37 per cent of the respondents want a menopause policy at their place of work.

In 2023, “how to implement menopause leave” was the most downloaded resource offered by WORK180, it stated.

The report noted that many felt the stigma attached to menopause had a negative impact in the workplace.

In many situations, talking about menopause is somewhat taboo and is often misunderstood. It goes beyond hot flushes, and can affect everything from mood, to energy, to weight.

However, some women thought such a policy could lead to more barriers.

“I do worry that if we give lots of special considerations to women only it will make employers want to hire women less. Also ageism is so rife – I don’t want to give companies another thing to say that an older woman is a bad choice,” one woman said.

It’s a valid concern, but the report states that research indicates menopause does not affect cognitive performance and by not helping those who go through menopause, a workplace could lose experienced and valuable employees.

Flexibility is key

The pandemic proved to many people that working from home is much more convenient and promotes a good work-life balance, so it is no surprise that it is the top offering respondents want.

For some, wanting more flexibility also goes hand-in-hand with menopause.

“I think that flexible working hours and the ability to work from home are essential in supporting people (of all ages) going through menopause because it can be a very difficult time to go through both mentally and physically,” one person said.