International Women’s Day takes place on 8 March this year. It is a global day to celebrate the achievements of women, educate and raise awareness of inequality and take action to drive gender parity and forge inclusive work cultures.
This year’s theme is “Inspire Inclusion” which aims to raise awareness and create a more inclusive world for women, eliminate gender bias and promote non-discriminatory employment practices. This year’s campaign recommends areas for action such as forging women’s economic empowerment, recruiting, retaining and developing female talent, and supporting women into leadership roles.
Whilst huge progress has been made in recent years to level the playing field between men and women in the workplace, there are still many challenges that women face every day at work, ranging from being paid less than male comparators to sexual harassment and maternity discrimination in the workplace.
Recent changes to employment law go further to promote inclusion and protection for women in the workplace:
- The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023 provides a right to request flexible working from the first day of employment, allows two statutory requests for flexible working in a 12-month period, reduces wait times for decisions to be made and removes the requirement for an employee to explain the effect of the change on the employer (April 2024).
- The Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023 offers enhanced protection from redundancy during and after pregnancy, and after returning from maternity, adoption or shared parental leave (April 2024).
- The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 introduces neonatal care leave and statutory neonatal care pay (October 2024).
- The Carer’s Leave Act 2023 creates a statutory entitlement to at least one week’s carer’s leave every 12 months (April 2024).
- The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023 places a duty on employers to take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of employees (October 2024).
- The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has issued new guidance on Menopause in the Workplace setting out employers’ legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
This is a crucial opportunity for employers to reflect on their progress towards gender equality in the workplace, and update policies and procedures which impact women at work. Employers can demonstrate their dedication to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment by taking the following action:
- Training staff and managers: implement discrimination and diversity training across the workforce to help mitigate discriminatory treatment and change perceptions.
- Review company policies: review company policies and procedures around diversity, equality, discrimination and harassment to ensure they are up-to-date and supportive and ensure inclusion and progression of women at work.
- Promote mentorship: establish mentorship programmes which assist women in progressing their careers with the help and support of senior women in leadership roles.
- Provide more flexibility: ensure policies are updated to provide flexibility in terms of remote working and flexible hours to allow women to balance their family and professional responsibilities more easily.
Employers play a crucial role in shaping the future of the workplace for women. By embracing equality and diversity, employers can contribute to a more just society and tap into a wider pool of talent and ideas and create an inclusive culture for all.
Our employment team offers a Women’s Employment Rights service to provide women with advice and assistance on their legal rights, how to protect their position and, if necessary, enforce their legal rights. For more information and to find out how we can help you, please contact Rachel Davis or Joanna Sutton on 0345 646 0406 or fill in our online enquiry form.