Female workers are nearly twice as likely to experience sex discrimination in small companies rather than large and almost half of all women in the UK feel that their employer does not give them enough support to attain a reasonable work-life balance.
 

These are the sobering findings of two reports looking at the plight of women in the UK workforce. A study undertaken among 472 employees by IFF Research indicated that, while 10% of all personnel believe that males are generally treated better than females, the figure almost doubles to 19% in organisations with less than 10 staff.
 
Unsurprisingly, however, perceptions differed according to gender. Some 15% of women think that there is male bias in their workplace, with only 1% saying that the reverse is true. A mere 6% of men agreed, however, and 5% claimed that it was actually women who fared better.
 
Of those males who said that they received better treatment than women, two fifths confirmed that they were more likely to be promoted and nearly a quarter acknowledged that they were paid more.
 
Mark Samuel, an associate director of IFF Research, said: “Small businesses are often described as the engine room of our economy. It cannot be conducive to healthy working relationships, or our country’s productivity, if 19% in these organisations – nearly twice the average for all employees – believe men are treated better than women.”
 
As a result, small companies needed to be aware of the gulf in attitudes between the sexes and to “go the extra mile” to demonstrate that they treat staff equally, he added.
 
A second survey undertaken among 1,000 workers by HR software provider Kenexa’s Research Institute, meanwhile, showed that 44% of women do not feel that they receive sufficient support from their employer to balance work and personal responsibilities effectively.
 
Despite this, some 62% felt that they were able to meet their career goals and still devote sufficient attention to their private lives.
 
The study found that women were more likely to achieve some kind of balance if their stress levels at work were reasonable and they enjoyed their work. It was also important to feel that there was room for career progression, that their employer valued their contribution and they were encouraged to participate in making decisions that affected their work.
 
Brenda Kowske, a research consultant at the Institute, said: “Working in an organisation that supports work-life balance has a significant, favourable impact on how employees rate their pride in their organisation, their willingness to recommend it as a place to work and their overall job satisfaction. Female employees who report having a balance between work and personal responsibilities state a much lower intention to leave their organisation.”
 
As a result, employers that created a supportive infrastructure and processes were more likely to attract and retain talented staff as well as strengthen their market advantage, she added.