Heightened workloads and household responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic are driving deep dissatisfaction among many women in the workforce, according to a new Deloitte Global report, “Women @ Work: A global outlook,” released May 19. The report finds that these increased responsibilities are having devastating effects on working women as 51 percent of those surveyed are less optimistic about their career prospects today. Additionally, women surveyed reported a 35-point drop in mental health and a 29-point drop in motivation at work compared to before the pandemic.

Representing the views of 5,000 women across 10 countries, the research reveals a stark reality for women in the workplace: gender equality has regressed during the pandemic, stifling years of slow, but steady progress. Increased responsibilities at work and at home during the pandemic, coupled with non-inclusive workplace cultures, are resulting in diminishing job satisfaction and employer loyalty for women.

“The last year has been a ‘perfect storm’ for many women facing increased workloads and greater responsibilities at home, a blurring of the boundaries between the two, and continued experiences of non-inclusive behaviors at work,” says Emma Codd, Deloitte Global Inclusion Leader. “While the adverse impact on women’s wellbeing, motivation, and engagement is obvious, our research also shows that some employers are getting it right: The women who work for these organizations are more engaged, productive, and satisfied with their careers. As we start to rebuild workplaces for the future, we have a golden opportunity to get gender equality and inclusion right and avoid setting back years of progress.”

Since the pandemic began, 77 percent of women surveyed say that their workloads have increased – the most frequently-cited change in their lives brought on by the pandemic. Women are also taking on more responsibilities managing household and caregiving tasks: 59 percent say they’re spending more time on domestic tasks; 35 percent are spending more time caring for children; and 24 percent cite more time caring for dependents other than children.

As a result, the survey suggests that women’s wellbeing has fallen significantly since the pandemic: only one third of women consider their mental wellbeing today to be “good” or “extremely good,” compared to 68 percent prior to the pandemic. With their mental wellbeing on the decline, women around the world are concerned about the impact of their mental health on their career: 29 percent of women who said their career isn’t progressing as fast as they would like point to poor mental health as a major contributing factor.

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