The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gender inequities in the workforce, and underscored the challenges women face in balancing family and workplace responsibilities. As the pandemic eases, the City of Los Angeles is calling on businesses to incorporate inclusive, flexible and supportive workplace policies that allow employees the opportunity to address caretaking responsibilities.
SUPPORTING MOMS IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS, WHICH IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE
Investing and training employees costs money. Creating a workplace environment that acknowledges the impact of caretaking responsibilities builds company loyalty. By instituting policies that respect and welcome back employees that take time off to take care of their families, your company will profit and enhance its reputation as one of the best places to work in Los Angeles.
Impact on Women
Unemployment
The long term impacts of the
pandemic will likely result in greater
inequality between men and women
in occupational attainment, lifetime
earnings, and economic
independence.
Leaving the workplace diminishes an
individual's ability to gain new
knowledge and experience, establish
tenure, and develop professional
relationships, all of which are critical
to earning promotion and an
increase in pay.
Gender Inequities in the Workforce
Gender Inequality
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the labor force nationwide and underscored the challenges women face in balancing family and workplace responsibilities.
Reports demonstrate that women have been significantly impacted during the economic downturn.
Fair Wages
Labor Force Inequities
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the labor force nationwide and
underscores women's particular challenges in balancing family
and workplace responsibilities.
Women are highly represented in many of the hardest-hit employment sectors.
Supporting a Work-Life Balance
health and maternity paid time off, and better mental health support
flexible work hours and personal schedule control
more child care support
workplace policies that promote gender
equality
fair pay and a living wage
on-ramps back into the workforce
Moms Need More Support
Unemployment in the pandemic has fallen disproportionately on women of color, with many in the service industry.
"For too long, our nation has neglected public and private sector policies that support mothers, while relying on women to shoulder the unpaid caregiving that keeps our economy afloat. It’s a chauvinistic system and it must end."
Reshma Saujani
founder of Girls Who Code and the Marshall Plan for Moms
“I gave up my job, my source of income
and my career that I had a very hard
time building to be a stay-at-home mom. Being an online special education teacher, a teacher to my
kindergartener at home, a caregiver for my 1-year old and carrying a pregnancy all while making sure my household stays afloat was too much for me
to handle.”
Awa
Teacher
"Child care has been a nightmare. I had to take time off from my job way more than I want to. I am now considering staying home until things change."
Vinniece
Stylist
“I felt like this country was barbaric when I took maternity leave (both times) and this brought it all together. Women are clearly not valued by society or our elected officials — local,
state and federal. Elected officials talk a good game about family values but they don’t care what happens to people.”
Catherine
Parks Manager
"[Paid sick leave] would have given me time to care for my daughter and be present for her while her school shut down because of COVID. It would have given me time to take care of myself, struggling between sickness and the pressure to keep going at all costs."
Adrianne
Media Expert
"Because these are unprecedented times it’s hard for people to grasp the experience of mothers all around the world right now. As a mother in a normal world you already carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, yet it has doubled during this time. This is the most minimized I’ve ever felt actually."
Kamilah
Writer
"It’s absurd the way Americans have been asked to carry on as normal during a pandemic. So many are unemployed or working impossible schedules because they don’t have the option to scale back at work. We can’t expect parents to be full-time caregivers and full-time workers for the long term. It is impossible."