Dive Brief:

• Women in technology continue to face reproach and work assignments beneath their paygrade, according to an April 12 Navisite study. In a survey of more than 100 women in STEM, namely those in engineering or other technical roles, 94% said they are held to a higher standard than their male colleagues. 
• In turn, three-fourths observed that they or other women co-workers 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. 
• Likewise, 74% of respondents told the cloud software, security and data company that their ideas have been discredited during meetings because of their gender.

Dive Insight:

Navisite's report illustrates how workplace disrespect can prevent inclusion and hamper equity: 61% respondents said they missed out on a promotion or job opportunity because of their gender. Further 45% of women surveyed said they are underpaid compared to their male colleagues, with 12% saying they're not sure whether they are paid fairly.

"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 on a daily basis," Gina Murphy, Navisite's president and chief transformation officer, said in a press release. "It's important to shed light on these situations so organizations can take steps to address them."

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 pros at 322 organizations pay gap root causes: 53% said senior leadership was to blame for pay inequity at their organization and 40% chalked it up to their workplace's organizational structure. 

If the Great Resignation has taught employers and those protecting their interests anything, it's that the U.S. workforce is putting their wellbeing – and that of their loved ones – first. At the onset of the pandemic, women left the workplace in droves to pursue unpaid labor and step in to mitigate their own 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.

Salary is only one piece of the puzzle. Workers are looking for comprehensive total rewards packages, and a major concern is adequate parental leave. While women aren't 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, too, beyond hiring them.

From paid family leave to the designation as unofficial coffee gopher, gendered issues are complex. As employees return to the office, workplace experts recommend that HR pros take note of who is watering the plants, maintaining the kitchen and shouldering the "office manager" label regardless of their role on paper. Even in a remote workplace, HR can take note of who coordinates food delivery for luncheons and going-away flowers for colleagues. There's a reason why DEI experts use the term "unconscious bias." Prejudice is often enacted in subtle ways.