Recent Westpac research reveals more than half (52 per cent) of working Australian women believe they have experienced some form of gender-related inequality in the past five years in the workplace. However, only two in five (41 per cent) working men believe they have witnessed inequality directed towards their female colleagues.
Designed to unravel the areas of inequality, the research was commissioned by Westpac and surveyed 2,289 people from across Australia, who are over 18 years of age and are currently in the workforce, or have recently been in the workforce. The online research took place between 20 and 25 May 2016.
The Westpac 2016 Women of Influence Report found the most common forms of inequality Australian women feel they face isn’t the gender pay gap, but being expected to do the caring/housekeeping duties (even though it is not part of their job description), given less interesting job tasks/duties and being the target of jokes or innuendo.
Women in senior management are the most likely to believe they have experienced a gender-based salary differential (29 per cent) compared to 8 per cent of entry level positions, 11 per cent of mid-senior level employees, 21 per cent mid-level management, and 7 per cent of self-employed/business owners.
Ainslie van Onselen, Westpac’s Director of Women’s Markets, Inclusion and Diversity said, “Gender inequality comes in many different forms; it is more than just a salary – it is a form of subtle sexism. Despite the significant positive steps we have made in improving gender equality in Australia, women remain the main contributors of unpaid work at home, and when they’re in the office it appears they’re also being expected to undertake the housekeeping duties too.
“Feedback from women suggests Australian workforces are continuing to use gender stereotypes and expectations in employment, which are contributing to the underlying cause of gender inequality. This is evident from our research that shows male workers around Australia perceive their female bosses as performing more poorly than male bosses on every metric including business knowledge, achieving results, productivity, communication skills, making a positive change in the workplace and overall performance.” Ainslie said.
Westpac research shows men rate their male bosses 6 per cent higher overall. This is especially prevalent when asked about allowing colleagues to realise their potential and making a positive change in the workplace, with male bosses rating 9 per cent higher than women.
According to the report, while women are more likely to have said they have witnessed every type of workplace gender inequality directed towards their female colleagues than men, 41 per cent of men believe they have witnessed some kind of inequality.
After witnessing what they believe to be an incident of gender-related inequality in the workplace, three quarters (74 per cent) of men said they stepped in to address the situation. Some of the most common actions men said they took were offering support or assistance to the victim (31 per cent), voicing concerns to management (22 per cent), and warning others in the workplace of the behaviours witnessed (21 per cent).
When taking action, men are more likely to have said they would confront the perpetrator – voicing their concerns personally to the perpetrator (21 per cent) and stepping in publicly during the incident (12 per cent).
Ainslie added, “A lack of awareness can compound the issue of gender inequality itself. It is encouraging to see that so many people are recognising subtle sexism and gender inequality in the workplace; however more direct action is needed, such as reporting the incident to human resources.
“At Westpac we believe increased diversity, combined with inclusive behaviours and leadership, results in better business performance. We work hard to foster a healthy, safe and inclusive environment, free from harassment and discrimination. In addition to compulsory training for all our employees so they understand their responsibilities and our approach, we provide multiple avenues to assist employees to raise an issue, internally and externally. Silence on inequality doesn’t solve the issue and we encourage our employees to stand up and voice their concern.”