As per the Deloitte Women @ Work 2024 report, 76 per cent of women working for Gender Equality Leaders—let us refer to them as GELs here—are highly loyal towards their employers, while only 26 per cent of those working for Gender Equality Lagging Organisations (we can refer to them as GELOs) show strong loyalty towards their employers.
So who are these Gender Equality Leaders?
Well, GELs are organisations where women feel confident about reporting non-inclusive behaviours they encounter, without worrying about retaliation. These are workplaces where women feel supported by their employers in their efforts to balance their work responsibilities with other commitments. These are organisations where women feel their career is progressing as quickly as they would like it to.
The organisations where none of this is happening are called Gender Equality Lagging Organisations or GELOs.
The report reveals other interesting data too. A good 75 per cent of the women working for GELs are very productive at work, while 74% show good physical health and well-being, and 71 per cent are motivated at work and 71 per cent feel a sense of belonging at work.
In GELOs, on the other hand, only 26 per cent women feel a sense of loyalty, merely 25 per cent are productive at work, hardly 21 per cent show signs of physical health and well-being, a measly 22 per cent are motivated and only 20 per cent feel a sense of belonging at work.
A whopping 85 per cent of women working for GELs, say they would recommend their organisation to other women as a good place to work. Only 37 per cent of those working for GELOs said they would recommend their organisation to other women.
A significant 67 per cent of women working with GELs admit that their organisation’s commitment to supporting women has increased over the past year, while only 41 per cent of GELOs feel so.
While 63 per cent of women employed with GELs feel they are judged on the quality of their work rather than the hours spent at work or online, only 51 per cent of those employed with GELOs share the same sentiment.
About 57 per cent of women working at GELs appreciate the fact that their organisation takes a stance on political and social issues that are important to them. Only 41 per cent of their counterparts at GELOs feel the same way.
Only seven per cent of women at GELs feel less optimistic about their career prospects today than they did the same time last year, while the figure for women at GELOs is an alarming 67 per cent.
Similarly, only one per cent of those working with GELs feel that being a woman is a disadvantage in their organisation, whereas a worrisome 48 per cent of women working with GELOs feel disadvantaged because of their gender.
Clearly, women employed with Gender Equality Leaders feel safer at work, feel more comfortable talking about their mental health at work, and are confident that that they can work flexibly without compromising on their career.
While the proportion of women working with GELs has gone up marginally—from five per cent last year to six per cent this year—the proportion working for GELOs has fallen slightly from 24 per cent to 21 per cent. That is hardly any improvement. The survey found only six per cent organisations to be Gender Equality Leaders, while 21 per cent were Gender Equality Lagging Organisations.
The report reveals that the GELs have gained from their inclusive cultures where their employees’ work/life balance is valued and respected. The women in their workforce are supported in their career progression. Not surprisingly, their employees end up exhibiting high levels of loyalty and productivity. In fact, a good 62 per cent of their women plan to stay with their employer for more than three years, compared with only 13 per cent of women who work for GELOs. A very encouraging 92 per cent of the women in GELs want to progress to a senior leadership position within their organisation, compared to a mere 31 per cent of women who work for GELOs.
About 13 per cent of those working with GELOs expect to lose their job in the next six months. Only two per cent of women employed with GELs are currently looking for a change, while 15 per cent of their counterparts working with GELOs are looking out for new roles.
‘Deloitte’s Women @ Work: A Global Outlook’ report examines certain critical workplace and societal factors that have a significant impact on women’s careers. The study represents the views of 5,000 women from organisations across 10 countries. The aim of the survey is to understand the first-hand experiences of women at work, and the ways in which aspects of their lives outside of the workplace can impact these experiences.