Workplaces still not equal, says survey

Most workplaces still have some way to go until they can be classed as truly inclusive and gender-equal, according to new data from job platform Jobrapido.

The survey, carried out by Jobrapido, took into account 500 survey responses from men and women aged 16+ across the UK. Almost a third (30%) of survey respondents felt that women are rarely supported in their work environments. The responses, from both men and women, also found that a fifth (20%) of those polled felt their employers would not encourage workers to have both a family and a career, and that almost 2 in 10 (17%) still felt there was a tradition of patriarchy in the workplace.

Meanwhile, over a quarter (28%) of respondents said they had never had a female manager, while 1 in 10 (10%) claimed that women are better suited to a leadership role than women.

When asked on how tackle prejudice and inequality in the workplace, over two-fifths (42%) of those surveyed said that supporting women in leadership positions and equality should be defined as a clear corporate objective. One-fifth (22%) said that prejudice toward women should be tackled directly by the company, whilst a separate one-fifth (23%) claimed that the selection process for leadership positions should be organised differently to ensure that women are just as likely as men to get into the top positions available.

The results, which come in the wake of yesterday’s International Women’s Day, demonstrate that there is still room for improvement in the working world, and highlight hurdles still yet to be overcome in bringing about a truly equal work environment.

Jobrapido CEO, Rob Brouwer, said:

“On International Women’s Day, employers should be proudly planting a stake on the ground and celebrating the work achieved to make the workplace a more equal environment. However, these figures demonstrate there is disappointingly some way to go to ensure women are just as represented at the top as their male counterparts.

“Be Bold For Change is the subject of International Women’s Day, and workplaces have to make sure they change to ensure outdated attitudes are abolished. Patriarchy should not exist in a modern office environment, and I would encourage jobseekers and current employees to ensure they are in roles where they feel supported for who they are.”