Gender Issues in the
Workplace
Women:
an all-important resource for human
talent
Some Important Dates
1839
1869
1890
1900
1920
1963
1964
1969
1974
1978
1981
1997
Mississippi grants women the right to hold property
Wyoming passes first suffrage law
Wyoming gives women right to vote in all elections
Every state has Married Women’s Property Act
19th Amendment to the US Constitution: women can vote
Equal Pay Act passed by Congress
Title VII of Civil Rights Act: gender is a protected class
Women meeting physical requirements can hold men’s jobs
It is illegal to force pregnant women to take maternity leave
Pregnancy Discrimination Act passed
US Supreme Court: excluding women from draft is constitutional
College athletic programs must equally include men and women
Some Statistics
Not working full-time/
with MBA
% who opt out
Age 25-29
Age 40-44
With ambition
Growth rate of graduate degrees
Women
1 in 3
37
87%
71%
33%
16%
Men
1 in 20
24
100%
100%
50%
1.3%
Keeping Talented Women
Why Women Leave
 Why Reentry is Difficult
 The Penalties of Time-out
 The Scenic Route
 Downsizing Ambition

Top 5 Reasons for Leaving

Women
Family time
Earn a degree/other training
Work not enjoyable/satisfying
Moved away
Change careers

44%
23%
17%
17%
16%
Men
Change careers
Earn a degree/other training
Work not enjoyable/satisfying
Not interested in field
Family time
29%
25%
24%
18%
12%
Reasons/Stats for Reentry
Reasons
43% For enjoyment and satisfaction
38% Household income no longer sufficient
24% Desire to give something back to the community
16% Regain power and status
Statistics
93% want to return
74% manage to do so
40% return to full-time jobs
24% take part-time jobs
9% become self-employed
Career Goals of Women
82%
79%
64%
61%
56%
51%
ability to associate with people they respect
freedom to be themselves
opportunity to be flexible with schedule
opportunity to collaborate with others
give back to the community
recognition from the company
Work-Life Policies for Women
82%
64%
54%
35%
5%
have reduced hours
have flexible work arrangements
change field
remove stigma
return to same company
Reversing the Brain Drain
Reduced-Hour Jobs
 Flexibility in the Day
 Flexibility in the Arc of a Career
 Removing the Stigma
 Stopping Burning Bridges
 Providing Outlets
 Nurturing Ambition

Adopting an On-Ramp




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Why do women leave careers after having invested
heavily in developing skills?
Would men leave their careers if they ahd a spouse who
was earning enough?
What would employers have to do? How would the
other women (and the men) be affected?
Why do more women work part-time than men?
What are the costs and benefits of having part-time
employees?
What are the risks of this kind of policies?
Are women more likely to leave a job than men?