Page 29 - BusinessWest May 26, 2020

Changing the Dynamic
Employers Must Focus on Returning Women to the Workforce
By Jeremy M. Forgue
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the workplace forever.
According to a report titled “Women
in the Workplace – 2020,” women have been hit especially hard. As the report explains, “the COVID-19 crisis has disrupted corporate Amer- ica in ways we’ve never seen before. No one is experiencing business as usual, but women —
COVID-19.”
Gender and racial diversity are unquestion-
ably beneficial to the workplace as it can lead
to a wider talent pool with people who provide different perspectives and skill sets to utilize. With job rates slowly climbing back towards pre- pandemic levels, businesses need to put a con- scious effort on recruiting and retaining female
Forgiving Gaps in Workers’ Employment History
According to a study by ResumeGo, applicants with work gaps of greater than six months have
a 45% lower chance of receiving job interviews. Millions have lost their jobs during the pandemic and remain unemployed. With so many individu- als forced to exit the workforce over the past year, accepting gaps in employment is critical to elimi- nating these hiring barriers.
Offering Job Training or Cross-training
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that new job skills are critical in a more digi- tized working environment. Remote work and Zoom meetings are here to stay. Offering initial job training for skills and requirements that do not require certification or a degree will allow displaced workers a chance to gain useful skills in a new working environment. Similarly, cross- training employees to learn each other’s respon- sibilities (so long as their positions have enough overlap) can be effective when emergencies arise due to absences from work or other staffing challenges.
Hiring
Continued on page 30
“Gender and racial diversity are unquestionably beneficial to the workplace as it can lead to a wider talent pool with people who provide different perspectives
and skill sets to utilize.”
especially mothers, senior-level women, and black women — have faced distinct challenges. One in four women are considering downshift- ing their careers or leaving the workforce due to
employees, and females of color in par- ticular. Businesses small and large should re-evaluate their current practices and consider several ways to increase or main- tain women in the workforce. Here are some suggestions from an employment- law attorney.
Flexible Schedules and Core Hours
This can be the easiest strategy, depending on your business. Allowing employees to establish their own sched- ules or flex the typical 9-5 business model can assist them in better balancing their home and work responsibilities. This option can allow parents to mold their
schedule around daycare availability (e.g., 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or split their shift around home responsibilities.
LAW
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