For women in the workplace, it’s becoming clear that the post-pandemic era offers good news and bad news. After suffering disproportionately high job losses at the height of Covid, data from the US’s National Women’s Law Center shows that female employment is on the rise – and the UK’s Office for National Statistics tells a similar story. Yet, according to Lean In and McKinsey’s recent Women in the Workplace report, we’re in the midst of what its writers call a ‘great break up’ – a phenomenon that’s causing female leaders to leave their jobs at the highest rate ever witnessed.
For individual women, the move from one role to another may represent progress, but for ambitious firms focused on growth, preventing this exodus of female talent is vital.
In light of International Women’s Day, this is an opportunity to recognise the progress that has been made in terms of women’s rights, but also to acknowledge the work that still needs to be done to make the workplace a more inclusive and sustainable place for all women.