How to Address the Gender Gap in Your Workplace

After the #MeToo movement pervaded the workplace in 2018, more and more employers are beginning to consider how they’re going to address the gender gaps across their own organizations this year, especially because new research indicates that nearly half of all women have reported experiencing some form of discrimination due to their gender while on the job.

Here’s what you should do if you’re interested in addressing the gender gap in your own workplace this year, too.

Provide Equal Pay for Equal Work

Women in the United States currently earn 17.6% less than men on average. So, make sure that you’re doing your due diligence to pay men and women the same rates when they are doing the same work.
For instance, a woman who is an operations manager should make the same amount as a man who is an operations manager. In addition, make sure women who are new to your organization make the same as men who are new to your organization when you first hire them, if they are carrying out the same job duties and roles.
And make sure that they are each offered the same bonuses and other incentives based on identical work performance and so on.

Offer More Flexible Work Options

Did you know that 43% of women leave the workforce when they have children, regardless of their industries or occupations? Luckily, however, research does indicate that offering women and new parents more flexible work options could help end gender inequality in the workplace because it will help evenly distribute home and work responsibilities for both men and women while also providing them both with ample and equal opportunities to pursue more challenging roles and promotions.

Extend Paternity Leave and Childcare Benefits to All Parents

Both fathers and mothers should be offered adequate paternity leave moving forward if gender gaps have any hope of disappearing in the workplace. And all parents should be provided with adequate benefits for child care because child care inside the United States is so expensive, and many women quit working because they can’t afford child care entirely on their own without some form of assistance.
For more information and research on why you’ll want to extend your paternity leave and childcare benefits to both men and women, read “Get the Most out of Inclusive Paternity Leave.”

Make Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Mandatory

To end the gender gap inside your own workplace and to create a safe place inside your workplace where women can excel, implement a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment and make sexual harassment prevention training mandatory.
Read “Should Harassment Prevention Training Be Mandatory in the Workplace?” for more details on why you’ll want to consider doing this.

Assign More Leadership Roles to Women

Often, women are overlooked for leadership roles because of common stereotypes or because employers are worried that they’ll have to take a leave of absence soon when they have children.
But if you really want to close the gender gap in your own organization, you’ll want to offer more hardworking and reliable women the leadership roles that they’ve earned. And, if possible, try to make sure you have an equal number of female leaders to male leaders, especially at the executive level.
To get started with closing the gender gap inside your own workplace this year, do one or more of the things highlighted above.