News: Women Are Disproportionately Affected By Covid-19 Related Work Stress

Increasing workloads and worry over job security while working from home amid the Covid-19 pandemic is causing a rise in mental health problems, especially in women.

A recent survey from Glassdoor has found that employees throughout the UK are experiencing anxiety, increased stress, sleeplessness, and depression as they work through Covid-19. It also suggested that female employees are experiencing greater levels of work-related stress than men.

At the beginning of the pandemic, hopes were high that the global shift to working from home could result in more equality within couples when it came to childcare and chores. Unfortunately, numerous global studies of work-life during Covid-19 have shown that a disproportionate share of the burden is still falling on women. Women are bearing the brunt of problems as they juggle their work and household responsibilities. It is a juggling act that is simply unsustainable and is placing a heavy emotional burden on the female population.

Research has also found that this is occurring in households regardless of income. Research by scientists from the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Zurich during March and April showed that working women in the UK, Germany, and the US did more childcare and home-schooling across all wage brackets, compared to men in a similar income bracket. 

In a recent report by Burnout Britain, women are 43% more likely to have increased their hours beyond a standard working week than men, and for those with children, this was even more associated with mental health problems: 86% of women who are carrying out a standard working week alongside childcare, which is more than or equivalent to the UK average, experienced problems in April this year.

It is not a surprise that we are heading into an impending recession and mass unemployment, but it is important to know that we are also heading into an unprecedented mental health crisis unless we do something about it urgently. According to Glassdoor, more than a third of employees said they feel their work performance has been negatively affected by the pressure they are facing at the moment. Around 1 in 5 employees stated that their company has not done enough to look after the physical and mental wellbeing of staff during the pandemic.

The pressure, stress and looming burnout women are facing across the globe have the potential to diminish the huge strides made in improving female participation and progression in the workforce. It is clear that it is vital to rethink the way we work, and the answer is not an atomised and depressed workforce.

The cumulative findings from these studies and surveys should be a wake-up call for senior leaders. The stress levels and anxiety experienced by employees at this time, especially female employees – is not sustainable.

These findings also highlight the important role that line managers play in the sense of value and loyalty that employees feel. To prevent a further disconnect in the workplace, the needs of line managers need to be met so that they can have confidence in managing teams remotely. These challenges are not impossible to overcome, but they require careful consideration and an effective action plan by business leaders so that managers can successfully meet company needs.

Shattered economies, the shutters drawn on businesses, empty streets, families grieving lost loved ones—these have been the most visible consequences of Covid-19. Less visible, but no less terrible or urgent, is the emotional pain of so many millions of people—too many of whom are paying a higher price simply because of their gender.