Females seen as the less capable employee
51% of Aussies believe women are still not treated equally in the workplace and the main reason is they are perceived as less capable than males, according to a survey conducted by Australia’s leading career building and networking site LinkMe.com.au.
Other reasons for the lack of equality include:
- Perception that females will not be in the workplace for as long as men
- Women focus more on family than their job
- Employees don’t want to employ someone who will want maternity leave
CEO of LinkMe Pty Ltd Campbell Sallabank says: “Women are an equally valued and crucial part of the Australian workforce bringing with them skills, management styles and an approach to work which cannot be replaced. The fact that some people perceive them as less valuable than their male co-workers is absurd.
“Women entering the workforce has also been a key driver of rising participation rates. We are witnessing a macro-level shift here and workplace attitudes need to catch-up.”
Women at the top end of the corporate ladder notice the lack of equality more than others. 68% of women earning over $100 000 find women are still struggling for equality at work compared to 60% of females earning less than $50 000.
“The statistics also reveal that despite the fact women are being exposed to sexist treatment many are still managing to become highly successful. These women have overcome the obstacles and refused to let negativity get in their way,” Mr Sallabank said.
Employees have no preference for male or female managers, despite acknowledging both genders approach the position differently.
“Only 33% of males surveyed believe the workplace is not equal. They believe the main reason why some inequality does occur is because women are perceived as less capable,” he added.