WFH challenges

Working from home is at the core of the new normal induced by COVID-19, but a recent survey has suggested that if companies wish to encourage higher productivity from their employees, they have to approach work from home with a gendered perspective and tailor make policies that take into account challenges faced by their most productive workers – women.  

The report, ‘Gendered Impacts of COVID-19 on Employment in the Private Sector,’ by Women in Work, a partnership between IFC – a member of the World Bank Group – and the Australian Government, highlights that almost three quarters of the companies surveyed experienced a negative impact on revenue as a result of the pandemic. 

The report is based on a survey conducted among 15 leading Sri Lankan companies across a range of sectors – banking and finance, fast moving consumer goods, information technology, garments and manufacturing. The companies surveyed employ more than 140,000 employees, including almost 85,000 women. 

One of its key findings suggest that for companies to turn around their revenue slumps and improve their bottom lines they should concentrate on providing more support to their female workforce, who despite facing harder work conditions have achieved more productivity. 

According to the study, female employees were more likely to have experienced increased hours, remote working or a change in job role or to have been re-allocated to a different business unit or work location. Moreover, female employees faced the greatest stress in terms of meeting increased electricity and other utility bills, compared to their male counterparts. The report also finds that one in five respondents reported to be concerned about possible job loss, and one in ten said they may need to find new employment. Two out of five employees surveyed said they may need to supplement their income, while one-third of them believed they would need to up-skill or retrain in a new area. In addition, almost one-third of employees surveyed experienced a salary reduction and almost 40% of them had their benefits reduced due to the pandemic. The latest IFC-DFAT findings also offer recommendations to better support working men and women in the private sector. These include developing meaningful flexible work policies, supporting staff – particularly women – with access to technology, introducing safe transportation, and providing mental health and wellness support. 

Unfortunately COVID-19 is not only upending jobs, it is also reducing financial space for employees to re-skill themselves and move up the company hierarchy. Sri Lanka already has only about 34% of women in the formal workforce and continued pressure on them could see this number decline, which could have serious socioeconomic consequences. The country with its rapidly aging population needs to draw more women into the formal workforce, not less, and there is plenty of research to show that having more women in the workforce is beneficial on multiple social fronts. 

While COVID-19 has upset many norms, it has not made much of a dent in traditional roles occupied by men and women, especially in the domestic space. Women in addition to their office roles now have to balance that with more child care and household duties, often without the assistance of helpers that were available to them earlier. This shift needs to be recognised and addressed by workplaces if they wish to keep their most productive workers onboard.