Women Shoulder Office, Housework, Pay Gap: Survey

Women in technology face stricter scrutiny and are often asked to handle administrative duties over their male colleagues, a Navisite study, released on April 12, found. During the survey, Navisite polled more than 100 women in the technology industry, with two-thirds of respondents holding engineering or technical roles within their organization.

The Survey on Women’s Shoulder: Office, Housework, Pay Gap

Over 94% of the respondents said they are held to a higher standard than their male colleagues. Moreover, 75% of the respondents have consistently been asked to perform administrative tasks – such as taking notes, getting coffee or tea for the team, ordering group refreshments, and general meeting prep – over the men they worked with.  

Similarly, 74% of respondents told the cloud software, security, and data company that their ideas had been shunned during meetings because of their gender. The survey results show that despite growing conversations about gender equality in tech, women continue to struggle with how they are treated, compensated, and valued within their field. 

Navisite’s report exemplifies how workplace disrespect can prevent inclusion and hamper equity: 61% of respondents said they missed out on a promotion or job opportunity because of their gender.  

In a press release, Gina Murphy, president, and chief transformation officer said,

“The survey results make it clear that there is still much to be done to support women in the workplace.”

While equal pay continues to be an issue, the survey reveals the problem goes much deeper to show how women in tech are being undervalued and experiencing gender inequality daily. It’s essential to shed light on these situations so organizations can take steps to address them. 

As far as compensation is concerned, 45% of female respondents feel underpaid than their male colleagues, with 12% uncertain if they are paid fairly or not. The finding is not surprising, as it’s been well documented that women receive less pay than their male colleagues for doing the same job. A 2021 industry report from Hired on wage inequality and discrimination in the tech industry found that 59% of the time, men were offered higher salaries than women for the same job title at the same company. 

And just how should HR professionals take steps to address those issues? Among other things, a pay equity audit and salary adjustments can go a long way. An April 2022 XpertHR survey asked HR professionals at 322 organizations the root causes of the pay gap root. 53% of respondents said senior leadership was to blame for pay inequity in their organization, and 40% of respondents blamed their workplace’s organizational structure for the pay inequity. 

The Great Resignation has taught employers that the U.S. workforce is putting their well-being first and that of their loved ones. At the onset of the pandemic, women left the workplace in droves to pursue unpaid labor and step in to mitigate their childcare crises. Two years down the road, data shows the ongoing Great Resignation has empowered women to ask for what they need from their employers. 

Workers are now looking for comprehensive total rewards packages, and the significant concern is adequate parental leave. While women are not the only primary caregivers for children, they are often saddled with this responsibility due to their gender. Data also suggests that paid leave is critical for retaining women beyond hiring them. 

Gendered issues are complex; gendered problems are complex, from paid family leave to the designation. As employees return to the office, workplace experts recommend that HR professionals note who is watering the plants, maintaining the kitchen, and shouldering the “office manager” label regardless of their role on paper. There’s a reason why DEI experts use “unconscious bias.” Prejudice is often practiced in subtle ways. 

Navisite CEO Mark Clayman said,

“It is disappointing that women continue to come up against these outdated and biased practices. It is not only disservices to the incredible talent and contributions women are making across all sectors of the economy, but it also hinders progress and innovation.”