A new study of over 1,000 working adults conducted by Qualtrics and theBoardlist reveals that working from home during the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately impacted the careers of women, parents, and people of color.
Color me completely unsurprised.
Working women who have children at home reported that they’re not as productive since the pandemic. A majority (77%) of men said that they’ve been more productive working from home with kids versus 46% of women. The majority of men (57%) actually believe that working from home has had a positive effect on their careers. Fewer than a third of women (29%) could say the same. The report also revealed a stark difference between races when it came to productivity. “White workers are 62% more likely than Black workers to say they’ve been more productive during the pandemic,” according to the authors of a blog post that accompanied the report.
Among the findings:
- Promotions—34% of men with children at home got one versus 9% of women with children at home
- Pay raises—26% of men with children at home versus 13% of women with children at home
- Increased leadership duties—29% of men with children at home versus 10% of women with children at home; 15% of white workers took on additional responsibilities versus 9% of Black or Asian workers (regardless of parenting status)
- Household duties—Men with a household income between $20,000 and $50,000 reported that they went from doing chores from nearly 11 hours to 16 hours each week.
“Because women often earn less than their male partners, women more often choose to leave their careers at the height of their advancement and earning power in order to raise children and keep their households running. The hardest part of that equation is that employers often judge female employees as less dedicated to their jobs as a result when often it is the farthest thing from the truth,” Shannon Gordon, CEO of theBoardlist, said in a statement. “Our study findings would indicate that women are cognizant that their careers could be impacted more than men if they were to work from home often. This discrepancy should be a red flag for employers.”
You can read the full results of the report that includes more data on perceptions around diversity programs here.
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