The Buzz: Nothing Will Work Unless Women Do!

There are many unanticipated and unwanted consequences from the pandemic, and women leaving the workforce in unprecedented numbers is one of them. Based on February data, it is estimated that about 3 million women have dropped out of the workforce since the start of the pandemic. In the last year, four times as many women left the workforce as men and the unemployment rate for women at the end of 2020 was 30 percent. McKinsey and LeanIn.org caution that this situation could reverse the gains in workplace gender equity made over the past 50 years. This is a huge issue globally, and I am only touching on implications in the U.S.

I had a conversation this week with a Black woman executive and mom who recently left the paid workforce because she was not able to manage the toll of caring for her eight-year-old ADHD-diagnosed daughter and the demands of her corporate job. A single mother, she plans to join the freelance workforce as a human resources consultant. She told me that the decision was really a “no-brainer.” She said her daughter absolutely will always be her first priority. She accepted that she could not do it all. I imagine this is the sentiment of many women who find themselves in this quandary.

In times of crisis such as this, those who have historically faced injustices are invariably the most impacted. Even though women represent almost 50 percent of the U.S workforce, pay inequities persist, we are more likely to be clustered in lower paying “essential” jobs, and more likely to be on the short end of the work-life balance stick. If there is a positive story here, it is that the pandemic puts a spotlight on age old inequities that should have long since been corrected.

The woman that I referenced above had the choice of becoming an independent consultant based on her skill set.  Many women do not have those choices, especially women of color. Women of color are disproportionately employed in these “essential” low paying jobs at nursing homes and retail stores, requiring them to physically show up for work with greater exposure to the virus. Too often these jobs do not have benefits such as sick pay. In fact, today 36 percent of Black women workers have jobs that do not provide paid sick leave. Many of these women are mothers of young children. During the pandemic, with day care centers and schools closed, they have not only had to parent but have had to become teachers as well.

A little bit of history for context: The Social Security Act of 1935 primarily excluded Black women until the 1960s. Caseworkers denied most poor Black women cash assistance under the act because they expected Black women to be employed mothers and not stay-at-home moms like white women. The New Deal minimum wage, overtime pay and collective bargaining legislation excluded the main sectors where Black women worked — domestic service and farming. Corrections have been made since then, but there are still gaps that disadvantage Black and Brown women. And 67.5 percent of Black mothers and 41.4 percent of Latina mothers are the primary or sole breadwinners for their families, compared with 37 percent of white mothers.

There are plenty of low-paying jobs open right now that employers are having a difficult time filling. The so-called pundits argue that it is because people (mainly women…disproportionately women of color) would rather stay home and collect unemployment. The implication is people (mainly women…disproportionately women of color) are lazy and unmotivated. How about the real cause and effect here: when you do the math, you cannot afford to go back to work earning $7.25 per hour. (This is the federal minimum wage still paid 21 states.) The annual average cost of center-based childcare is $11,896 per child and this number continues to rise every year. The annual income of someone making $7.25/hour is $14,500 which leaves $2,604 for rent, clothing, food, etc. Obviously, the only real choice is to collect unemployment and stay home with your children. If the mandatory minimum wage was $15/hour, one’s income would be $30,000/year, still only enough to cover childcare and other basic living expenses.  

I am hopeful that the current labor shortage caused by the fallout of the pandemic will force us to correct the injustices and even pay reparations for the harm. Women want to work. The economy needs women to work. We have to change policies and practices that discriminate against women making it impossible for many to stay in the workforce. Here are a few things that can be corrected: 

• Caregiving subsidies: Unfortunately, our culture still views caregiving as primarily a woman’s responsibility. There was a shortage of affordable childcare options even before the pandemic. Employers need to provide childcare subsidies as the norm rather than a special benefit. The federal government needs to invest in funding childcare as well.
• Mandatory sick and personal time pay: All employers should be required to pay people when they are sick and to give time off for personal situations. In crisis situations — like pandemics — these policies need to be more flexible and generous. 

• Pay equity: Gender pay inequity was clearly an issue before the pandemic and is really an easy one to correct if we so desire. Let’s just fix this one once and for all. Pay women what they are worth. I am really tired of talking about this one.
• Employee well-being: Gone are the days when it was fashionable to be a workaholic and well they should be. Especially during these difficult times, leaders need to prioritize employee well-being. This means setting boundaries on work time with “no emails after a certain time” policies and setting reasonable goals for work accomplishments that consider the pandemic and all of the extra burden that it may bring into a woman’s life.  Consider offering resources to support rest and self-care. Consider in-house day-care.

We should not want to go back to “normal” as the pandemic winds down, because normal was not good for too many women, especially women of color. We should use the lessons learned from the pandemic to reimagine a justice-centered, gender equitable work environment.