Working Women and family issues

Challenges

Issues at workplace-Pay gap,

glass ceiling
Sexual harassment, principle of comparable
worth as a solution, family friendly programs
Sexual harassment: -
Unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favours
and other verbal or physical conduct of sexual nature
constitute sexual harassment when-
1. Submission to such conduct is made either
explicitly/implicitly a term/condition of an
individual’s employment
2. submission/rejection affect employment
decisions
3. It has the purpose of affecting individual’s
performance
• Sexual harassment-improper sexual
conduct in the work place
• Quid pro quo harassment- superior (man)
uses his power to grant/deny employment
benefits to exact sexual favours
• Hostile working environment harassment-
conduct of co-workers causes a woman/man
to be uncomfortable
(2013-Act of Prevention, Prohibition and
Redressal) Sexual harassment includes
the behaviors:
• Physical contact
• A demand or request for sexual favours
• Sexually coloured remarks
• Showing pornography
• Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or
non-verbal conduct of a sexual nature
(for example, leering, telling dirty jokes,
making sexual remarks about a person's
body, etc.)
How to prevent sexual harassment?
Preventing sexual harassment

A sexual harassment policy

Communicating the policy

Setting up procedures

Taking appropriate action

The principle of comparable worth

Dissimilar jobs can be compared with respect to

certain features and jobs that are similar with
respect to these features ought to be paid the same.

How wages are determined in the present economy?

contribution workers make to productivity

Wages - according to the content

job evaluation - measures and compares the
features of a job for which a worker ought to
be compensated.

Skill, effort, responsibility, working conditions

Two versions of the principle:
• Value of the job is determined on the
basis of content.

• Method of detecting discrimination

PCW - Explaining in terms of rights

the right not to be paid lower wages, but

on the basis of content.
Avoid discrimination in Setting of wages-
Are wage differences due to
discrimination?

What are the issues related to

principle of comparative worth?
Explaining ‘unequal pay’- Women’s choice,
sacrifice for the family, Lack of experience,
training- reduced efficiency

Measuring job content- ratifies existing practice

of an employer- ‘policy capturing’

Effect on labour market-lower productivity

Issue of cost of raising the wages of women in

undervalued jobs
The problems of women employees:
• The unalterable biological function of
motherhood
• Responsibility of running a household
• Stereotypes about why women work
 family friendly Programes

Involving flexible for emergencies Resource and

working and occasional assistance
arrangement needs Programmes
• What are the benefits of family friendly
programs for employers?
benefit of employers –
• retain highly skilled employees
• reduces companies’ training and recruitment
costs.
• decrease absenteeism, enhance productivity,
and attract competitive applicants
Benefits for employees

• lower employees’ stress levels- individual

and family health- job satisfaction.
• reduce poverty -women remain in the
workforce.
• What are the disadvantages of family –friendly
programs for employers and employees?
Problems for employers
• Changes impose hardships
• Jobs for which flexible working arrangements are
unsuitable
• Job sharing may be resisted by clients
Problems for employees
• Affects career
• Cultural attitude

**