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American women are the ones who are losing the pandemic: losing their jobs, their confidence, and their financial security. According to recently released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers cut 140,000 jobs in December – a staggering number worse than expected.
But that is only part of the story. A deeper dive into the data reveals a terrible gender gap: All job losses occurred for women.
The news for women of color is worse. As Annalyn Kurtz notes at CNN Business, “Black and Latina women work unequally in some of the most severe areas of the pandemic, often in occupations that do not have paid sick leave and the ability to work from home. As schools and day care closed, many had to trade hard between work and parenting. ”
For those of us who specifically want to help women find ground in the battle for equality, this news is very upsetting. While we can’t read too much into one month of data, there is no denying that this problem is problematic, and could have long-term consequences.
Women are worried
Occupational security during the pandemic has been a major concern. Many people have faced pay cuts or job losses due to companies struggling to keep people going. The leisure and hospitality industries are the hardest. And most jobs in these industries are filled by women.
In some ways, it may feel out of our control. But the truth is, we don’t have to feel helpless in everything. There are some steps you can take as a leader to reduce the tide or turn the tide on this daunting line.
Here is what we did.
When the pandemic was announced in March 2020, my business partner and I created a short-term plan to recruit all of our employees. We ran financial settings to find out where to cut costs in areas other than pay. We decided to implement pay cuts in the board, including our salaries, when needed. But we wanted to keep our team together and keep the lights on. This became our single goal for the industry.
Fortunately, we had learned from the 2009 economic crisis and had built up a savings account that we could go into for payment if things ever get tight again. This buffer helped us to sleep a little easier at night when contracts were canceled, and coaching duties were canceled. We took it one month at a time.
We had to get creative with the moms on our team, who now worked in addition to home education from their homes. They simply could not work full time. We arranged Sunday leave for one mother and paid her regular salary while she was out figuring out how to make her life in the new world. Another woman on our team stopped her client’s work 40% to make time for her health and her two young boys. More importantly, none of these women were severely judged for their decisions. We fully support them.
Eventually, we made it through. We kept our promise to every member of our team. I credit my business partner with the ability and focus to make this happen. I am proud of our response to the pandemic. Very proud.
How about you?
If you are a group leader, treat this issue as it were do problem, whether you are a woman or not. Take responsibility for designing creative solutions with your team. Make sure you pay close attention to your people. Slowing down or delaying sales and sales growth prospects. Don’t let people go unless you have to. You could cut pay and keep a few more people on a payroll for a few more months. This will not last forever. We will get over it. Why not take out the loop and reallocate resources a bit?
It’s also important to keep your feet on the ground and your views on the big picture while still looking at what’s right now. It is unlikely that it will help to be angry and embarrassed about the backlash that is taking place in the women’s movement. Your job as a leader is to create a sensible plan and stay calm and optimistic. It’s an honor to lead, and others look to you to see how you deal. They will follow your lead. This is the time to upgrade your game and be better than ever.