Women in frontline roles need more support: report

New York — Women in frontline jobs say their safety and well-being needs often go unacknowledged, according to a recently published report.

In collaboration with professional services company Accenture, Catalyst – a global nonprofit that promotes gender equity and workplace inclusion – interviewed and conducted a diary study of 72 women in frontline roles and their direct managers. All worked in the U.S. manufacturing, accommodations and food service, and retail industries.

The report shows that the women believe:

• Rigid scheduling policies and practices often overlook or ignore the needs of women, who are disproportionately responsible for caregiving.
• Advancement pathways aren’t always clear or accessible.
• Direct managers need to be allowed to make team-level decisions guided by empathy.

The report concludes that employers should invest in women’s physical well-being, adopt employee-centered scheduling practices, create and clarify growth opportunities, and enable managers to lead empathetically.

“Women in frontline roles are essential to the daily operations of many of the world’s largest companies,” Catalyst President and CEO Lorraine Hariton said in a press release. “They were disproportionately affected by the (COVID-19) pandemic and still feel its effects.”