Research from the EU suggests that 15 out of 30 member states believe it is the role of the woman to take care of the household and children. While in Canada and the US, a Gallup poll suggests that 21% of men think that a woman’s place is at home.

So, set against that background, it’s hardly surprising women are carrying out the lionesses’ share of household chores. Furthermore they also doing most of the cognitive work, i.e. the thinking work. Sometimes called the invisible work or the third shift, this involves the planning, scheduling, negotiating and problem-solving work. It is everything involved in being the Chief Domestic Officer of your own home and family.

Therefore, as shown in recent McKinsey research, that one out of 4 women – especially senior women – are stepping down or out of the workforce should not come as a surprise => A female talent crisis looms

It feels like a lot of companies, unconsciously or consciously, are just letting it wait out: “Let’s just see what it’s like when we return to office. Let’s see what it’s like in a couple of months.” You know, “Let’s see what it’s like when we have another vaccine rollout.”

What leaders can do first
Acknowledge where we are.
Second, they can think about what is the professional progression for these talented women.
Third, they can start actually forming the work routines for a return to office, not waiting for the physical workspace but actually starting to live into it today.

Instead of having almost ‘unchecked’ boundaries, start to put those in, and to put in the talent-management processes, the manager support, and the actual individual experience. And if you need to start asking different questions to your workforce in your pulse, do so.

So one role for companies is also to be thinking about how they reflect performance reviews and expectations. Moreover as for the majority of women, the thing they most worry about is how they’re going to be evaluated in their performance => “Am I going to be penalized because this will have a hangover effect?”

The companies that are outpacing their peers on diversity goals – who are out in front of this right now – are leaning forward on things like childcare, elder-care supplements, thinking about flexibility, reimagining the roles. And, in particular, focusing more on the outputs and less on the inputs.
“I don’t need FaceTime with you 24/7 if you get a great job done.”

Wouldn’t that be wonderful?