Women In The Workplace

Women have gained considerable amounts of responsibility in the workplace over the past few decades, but even now, are not being given the same amount of respect, pay, or opportunity that men are given. Men who are their equals in experience, education, talent, and any other area that may be considered in a work environment, are often given an opportunity while the woman is bypassed. The number of women in the work force has been on a constant incline since the 1950s. Women are not always expected to give up their careers and start a family anymore after they are married. Women have jobs in and outside of the home, and even with all of the effort put forth for family and their job, women are still overlooked.

How Do The Women Feel?

In today's society, where ideals of political correctness and equal opportunity are openly spoken about, many women will tell you they feel skipped over with job opportunities in their field of work. Women who are just as skilled in their trade as their male counterparts often feel as if they are not given a chance to prove themselves at a higher level in the company they work for just because they are a female. This could cause many employers to face law suits and fines, but many companies are willing to deal with this. Equal opportunity is still not being given to these women. Many women will seem to escalate to a high position in a company, but will eventually be stopped before they reach the top spot. The competition with a man and unfair advantages that he may have will often interfere with a woman's ability to get to the highest position within a company.

Women Back Then

Over 50 years ago, women were not always seen as a big part of the workplace. Women were a figure that usually remained inside the home. Maintaining a clean house, preparing meals, and raising children were generally the jobs of women. As the years past, more and more women began to step outside of their homes and into the work force as a paid employee and not one who worked for free.

Women As Of Today

Today, there are almost as many women in the work place as there are men. "According to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) report the number of women, Blacks, and Hispanics in management has quadrupled since 1970, and the number of Asians has increased eightfold" (Morrison and von Glinow 200-208). Although opportunity has increased for many women, it has been said that there is a "glass ceiling" that stops them from reaching a higher point in their workplace. Women, who are obviously capable of achieving much more than the opportunity they are given, are stopped solely because of their gender. Men are given chances over women with whom they may have equal potential and competence. Women have climbed the hierarchy ladder in education, work, and even politics, but are still stopped by a barrier because of their gender.

Statistics: Then and Now

According to an article on About.com, statistics from 1950 to 1998 show a big difference in numbers of women in the work force from then to now. In 1950, only about one out of three women were employed outside of the home, but by 1998, that number rose to about every three out of five women were in the work force. Checking statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor from 1950 to 1998, these results were given:

63.3 percent of women age 16 to 24 worked in 1998 versus 43.9 percent in 1950.

76.3 percent of women age 25 to 34 worked in 1998 versus 34.0 percent in 1950.

77.1 percent of women age 35 to 44 worked in 1998 versus 39.1 percent in 1950.

76.2 percent of women age 45 to 54 worked in 1998 versus 37.9 percent in 1950.

51.2 percent of women age 55 to 64 worked in 1998 versus 27 percent in 1950.

8.6 percent of women age 65+ worked in 1998 versus 9.7 percent in 1950.

The U.S. Department of Labor has predicted that by this year, women will make up 48% of the work force, where in 1950 women only made up about 45% of the work force.

Employers Can Help Lessen The Problem

Some women would prefer to stay in their home to be a homemaker, but some also want to work. Employers can contribute to achieving both homemaker and employee status by allowing women to work from home. To keep things equal, this status could also be allowed for men. More job sites and work places could allow for child care for women who want to work outside of the home. Employers should also try not to hold any bias against women. Employers should not jump to the conclusion that a women will easily give up her job once she is married or begins to start a family. Another problem that could prompt a women to be more likely to leave her place of employment is sexual harrassment. If a women reports a problem of sexual harrassment, it should be taken seriously and given attention to. "Employers need to pay more attention to the Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines" (Heathfield). These guidelines exist for a reason! Not only women realize a need for the equality, men, minorities, and even the elderly realize the necessity for equal rights in the workplace!!

Women Should Know Their Rights

Women need to be well informed and aware of the rights they have within the workplace. A woman has a right to be given equal pay as her male co-workers, given time off for maternity leave without being penalized, and a right to be heard when she speaks up about being sexually harassed. The Equal Pay Act has been a law since 1963 and requires employers to pay male and female employees the same wages. The Family and Medical Leave Act has been a law since 1993 and requires that a woman be allowed up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave without the termination of her job, but she must have been with the company for at least a year. According to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, if a woman reports to her employer that she has been sexually harassed, her employer is legally obligated to prevent sexual harassment from occuring and to take proper and immediate action to exact the wrong done from the sexual harassment that has already occured. A women needs to know her rights so that she can be properly treated and perform optimally in the workplace.

Women Can Help Themselves

When a woman begins a career, she needs to let her employer know of her intentions. If she plans on leaving her job once she is married, she needs to let her boss know. If a woman has every intention to stay in her current occupation, she needs to speak up. A woman needs to be more willing to stand up for herself, which will gain her more respect in her place of employment. Women who are more willing to speak up, negotiate pay, and gain respect for themselves are more likely to recieve more opportunities in their work place.