How can I make my workplace more inclusive for women?

This Friday 8 March is International Women’s Day. The campaign theme this year is “Inspire Inclusion”. In light of this, this article discusses the benefits of encouraging women’s inclusion in the workplace and ways employers can achieve this. In this article, the term women includes any person who identifies as a woman.

Benefits of inclusion

Most employers will be aware that discrimination based on sex is prohibited under the Equality Act 2010. However, there are also many benefits to promoting women’s inclusion in the workplace, including increased employee retention, a more diverse workforce, and a positive business reputation.

Businesses that do not prioritise inclusion may be missing out on recruiting and retaining top talent. Women who do not feel included, or whose workplace is unable to accommodate their caring responsibilities are more likely to quit, costing the business hardworking and experienced employees. On the other hand, employees who feel included know that their individual contributions and perspectives are valued. They may feel more comfortable challenging the status quo and offering unique solutions to problems.

Research suggests that businesses with more diverse workforces may be more profitable. This may be in part because a more diverse workforce naturally benefits from more diverse perspectives. Businesses that promote the inclusion of women at every level of the corporate hierarchy are more likely to benefit from the unique perspectives and lived experiences they bring to the table.

Enhanced family leave pay

Pregnant employees who meet the statutory conditions will be entitled to statutory maternity pay for 39 weeks of maternity leave. This amounts to 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings for the first six weeks and an amount set by the government for the remaining 33 weeks. Many employers choose to pay more than the statutory minimum, with the most generous offering several months of fully paid maternity leave. Offering more generous maternity pay may encourage employees to take more time off to care for their new child, and may make the business a more attractive place to work for women.  

In addition to enhanced maternity pay, employers should also consider paying for other forms of family-related leave such as time off to accompany a partner to an antenatal or adoption appointment, time off to deal with emergencies involving a dependant, and time off to attend fertility treatment. 

Flexible working

Women are more likely to have caring responsibilities for children or elderly relatives. Flexible working arrangements can help women accommodate their caring commitments while staying in employment. Flexible working arrangements employers may consider include:

• Varied start and finish times to accomodate the school run;
• Flexi-time to allow employees to provide care to a dependant and make up the time later;
• Working from home;
• Allowing a role to be done part-time.

Training

Anti-discrimination and unconscious bias training can help support an inclusive work culture. This training helps inform employees on the different types of discrimination women can experience and what forms of behaviour are and are not acceptable. Through training, businesses can make their commitment to inclusion clear, and empower employees to speak out against discrimination they encounter at work. Employers may also consider additional training for managers on how to deal with incidents of discrimination and how to lead a diverse team. 

Closing the gender pay gap

The gender pay gap measures the difference between the average pay for men and the average pay for women in a business. In many industries, women are still paid less than men on average for doing the same or similar work. Ensuring that women are fairly compensated for the work they do is crucial to supporting women’s inclusion in the workplace.

Businesses with 250 employees or more are required to report their gender pay gap. A report by the CIPD found that many employers do not carry out gender pay gap reporting, including some businesses for which it is mandatory. Businesses that are serious about tackling pay inequality in their workforce should conduct gender pay reporting and equal pay audits regularly. Only once the extent of the pay gap is known can a business develop an action plan to address unequal remuneration between women and men. Regular, annual audits allow the business to measure the success of actions taken to reduce pay inequality.

If you need help drafting an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion policy, our document audit team can help. Our HR consultant, Cath Dixon, is also available to assist with any diversity and inclusion training needs you may have. You can reach us by emailing employment@warnergoodman.co.uk or calling 023 8071 7717.