Women in The Workplace 2020

Women in CORPORATE AMERICA
IS AT A CRITICAL
CROSSROADS
the Workplace
2020
2 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: ABOUT THE STUDY
About the study

Women in the Workplace is the largest comprehensive study of the state
of women in corporate America. In 2015, McKinsey & Company and
LeanIn.Org launched the study to help companies advance diversity in the
workplace. Between 2015 and 2019, close to 600 companies took part in
the study, and more than a quarter of a million people were surveyed on
their workplace experiences. Now, in 2020, women in corporate America
are facing a new challenge: the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s report
focuses on how the pandemic has affected women at work, including the
unique impact on women of different races and ethnicities, working
mothers, women in senior leadership, and women with disabilities. It also
looks at the emotional impact of incidents of racial violence in this country
on employees. Finally, it tracks the changes we’ve seen in women’s
representation over the past six years and assesses how Covid-19 could
disrupt those trends going forward.
Sign up to participate in the 2021 study at womenintheworkplace.com.

3 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents
05 Part 1: Covid-19 has disrupted the workplace in

ways we’ve never seen before
06 Introduction
The events of 2020 have turned workplaces upside down. Companies
risk losing women at all levels of management—but they also have an
opportunity to build a better workplace.
07 Section 1: The State of the Pipeline

Between 2015 and 2020, we made slow but steady progress in
women’s representation. But a “broken rung” at the first step up to
manager continues to hold women back—and now the Covid-19 crisis
is threatening to erase the gains of the past six years.
10 Section 2: Impact of Covid-19

Many employees are struggling during Covid-19—and mothers,
senior-level women, and Black women are facing distinct challenges. A CLOSER LOOK:
13 Why women are
11 The Covid-19 crisis has been challenging for all thinking of leaving
employees 15 How companies are
supporting employees
16 Covid-19 could push many mothers out of the workforce
19 Experiences of Latina
and Black mothers
22 Companies are at risk of losing women in leadership
30 Allyship
26 Black women are less likely to feel supported at work
33 Experiences of women
during Covid-19 with disabilities
31 It’s important to understand that intersectionality impacts

women’s experiences
4 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: TABLE OF CONTENTS
34 Part 2: Companies are at a critical crossroads
35 Introduction
Two things are clear: Companies need to address the heightened challenges
women are facing, and they need to better support Black women.
36 Solutions for Companies

If companies act now to build a more equal workplace, they can prevent
millions of women from leaving their jobs or downshifting their careers. A CLOSER LOOK:
47 Responding to racial
37 How companies can address the core challenges violence in the news
women are facing
49 Manager support
44 How companies can better support Black women
50 Conclusion: The Road to Progress

If companies can rise to the challenges the Covid-19 crisis has thrown
into high relief, we may be laying the foundation for a more flexible and
empathetic workplace for everyone.
54 Acknowledgments
55 Report Authors
56 Corporate Pipeline by Industry
58 Methodology
60 Endnotes
PART 1: THE SITUATION
Covid-19 has
disrupted the
workplace in ways
we’ve never seen
before
6 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: INTRODUCTION
This is the sixth year of the Women in the

Workplace study—a year unlike any other.
The events of 2020 have turned workplaces upside As a result of these dynamics, 1 in 4 women are
down. Under the highly challenging circumstances of contemplating what many would have considered
the Covid-19 crisis, many employees are struggling to unthinkable less than a year ago: downshifting their
do their jobs. Many feel like they’re “always on” now careers or leaving the workforce.3
that the boundaries between work and home have
blurred. They’re worried about their family’s health This is a critical moment for corporate America.
and finances. Burnout is a real issue. Companies risk losing women in leadership—and
future women leaders—and unwinding years of
Women in particular have been negatively impacted. painstaking progress toward gender diversity.
Women—especially women of color—are more likely
to have been laid off or furloughed during the This crisis also represents an opportunity. If
Covid-19 crisis,1 stalling their careers and jeopardizing companies make significant investments in building a
their financial security. more flexible and empathetic workplace—and there
are signs that this is starting to happen—they can
The pandemic has also intensified challenges that retain the employees most impacted by today’s
women already face in the workplace. Working crises and create more opportunities for women to
mothers have always worked a “double shift”—a full succeed in the long term.
day of work, followed by hours spent caring for
children and doing household labor. Now the supports Corporate America is at a crossroads. The choices
that made this even possible for women—including that companies make today will have consequences
school and childcare—have been upended. both for their organizations and society for decades
to come.
Meanwhile, Black women already face more barriers
to advancement than most other employees. Today
they’re also coping with the disproportionate impact
of Covid-19 on the Black community.2 And the
emotional toll of repeated instances of racial violence
falls heavily on them.
SECTION 1
The State of the

Pipeline
Between 2015 and 2020, we made slow but steady
progress in women’s representation. But a “broken
rung” at the first step up to manager continues to hold
women back—and now the Covid-19 crisis is
threatening to erase the gains of the past six years.
8 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: THE STATE OF THE PIPELINE
We have made slow but

steady progress over the
past six years
At the beginning of 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic began in the
United States, the representation of women in corporate America was
slowly trending in the right direction. This was most pronounced in
senior management: Between 2015 and 2020, the share of women grew
from 23 to 28 percent in SVP roles—and from 17 to 21 percent in the
C-suite. Women remained dramatically underrepresented, particularly
women of color, but the numbers were slowly improving.
REPRESENTATION OF CORPORATE PIPELINE BY GENDER AND RACE MEN WOMEN
% of employees by level at the start of 2020
SR. MANAGER/
ENTRY LEVEL MANAGER DIRECTOR VP SVP C-SUITE
WHITE MEN
35%
44%
51% 57% 59% 66%
MEN OF COLOR 18%
18%
15% 13% 13% 12%
WHITE WOMEN
29% 26% 19%
25% 24% 23%
3%
WOMEN OF COLOR
6% 5%
12% 9%
18%
TOTAL WOMEN IN
2020 47% 38% 33% 29% 28% 21%
% CHANGE FROM
2015–2020 +5% +3% +5% +4% +18% +22%
% POINT CHANGE
FROM 2015–20204 +2.1pp +1.2pp +1.5pp +1.2pp +4.1pp +3.7pp
9 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: THE STATE OF THE PIPELINE
However, the “broken

rung” is still holding
women back . . .
Despite gains for women in leadership, a “broken rung” in
promotions at the first step up to manager was still a major barrier in
the past year. For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 85
women were promoted—and this gap was even larger for some
women: Only 58 Black women and 71 Latinas were promoted. As a
result, women remained significantly outnumbered at the manager
level at the beginning of 2020—they held just 38 percent of
manager positions, while men held 62 percent.
. . . and now the Covid-19 The broken rung has a long-term impact on
the talent pipeline. Since men significantly
crisis could erase all the outnumber women at the manager level,
there are far fewer women to hire or promote
gains we’ve made to senior managers. And the number of
women decreases at every subsequent level.
So even as hiring and promotion rates
Due to challenges created by the Covid-19 crisis, as many as two improve for women at senior levels, women
million women are considering taking a leave of absence or leaving as a whole can never catch up. There are
the workforce altogether. This is the first time we’ve seen signs of simply too few women to advance.
women leaving the workforce at higher rates than men; in the
previous five years of this study, women and men left their
companies at similar rates. If these women feel forced to leave the
workforce, we’ll end up with far fewer women in leadership—and far
fewer women on track to be future leaders. All the progress we’ve
seen over the past five years would be erased.
SECTION 2
Impact of Covid-19
The pandemic is a health and financial crisis that has
turned people’s lives and workplaces upside down.
Many employees are exhausted and burned out.
Women in particular have been negatively impacted,
and three groups are facing distinct challenges:
mothers, senior-level women, and Black women.
11 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: THE IMPACT OF COVID-19
The Covid-19
crisis has been
grueling for
employees
As the Covid-19 crisis wears

on, many employees are
struggling
The Covid-19 crisis has been extremely difficult for employees. Several
challenges loom large, including childcare and homeschooling responsibilities,
mental health, and burnout. Many employees feel like they need to be “always
on”—available for work at all hours of the day. And a significant number of
employees are worried about layoffs, furloughs, and financial insecurity.
Taken together, these challenges paint a picture of a workforce that is dealing

with unsustainable pressure and anxiety. Almost half of employees say they
have consistently felt stressed at work over the past few months, and about a
third report feeling exhausted or burned out. For working parents—and working
mothers in particular—those burdens are even heavier.
Some challenges loom larger for

EMPLOYEES SAY THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGES certain groups of women. Compared
DURING COVID-19 ARE . . .6 with women overall, Latinas are more
likely to worry about layoffs and
furloughs.5 And LGBTQ+ women are
1. Anxiety over layoffs or furloughs
almost twice as likely as employees
overall to cite mental health as one of
2. Burnout their biggest challenges during
Covid-19.
3. Mental health
4. Childcare and/or homeschooling responsibilities
5. Physical and mental health of loved ones
6. Financial insecurity
* This report contains stock photographs for illustrative purposes only. Images do not reflect the identities of the women quoted. Within the quotes, some identifying details
may have been altered and/or withheld to protect the speaker’s anonymity.
A CLOSER LOOK
Certain challenges are more likely to

push women out of the workforce
The pressures of the pandemic are driving some employees—especially women—to
consider downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce. The following factors are
predictive of whether an employee considers downshifting or leaving:
>> Lack of flexibility at work
>> Feeling like they need to be available to work at all hours, i.e., “always on”
>> Housework and caregiving burdens due to Covid-19
>> Worry that their performance is being negatively judged because of caregiving
responsibilities during the pandemic
>> Discomfort sharing the challenges they are facing with teammates or managers
>> Feeling blindsided by decisions that affect their day-to-day work
>> Feeling unable to bring their whole self to work
Although these factors hurt all employees, some groups of women experience certain
challenges at higher rates. For example, mothers are more likely than fathers to worry that
their performance is being negatively judged due to their caregiving responsibilities.
Women in senior leadership are more likely than men at the same level to feel as though
they are “always on.” And Black women are more likely than women and men overall to
feel like they can’t bring their whole selves to work.
Companies are stepping

up—but many aren’t
addressing the underlying
causes of burnout
Many companies have taken important steps to support employees
during the Covid-19 crisis. They are sharing valuable information with
employees, including updates on the business’s financial situation and
details about paid leave policies. They have expanded services related
to mental health, such as counseling and enrichment programs, and
offered trainings to help managers support employees’ mental health
“
We are still expected to meet, if not
exceed, all of our targets. The
Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t affected
anything as far as what we’re
required to get done. So far, we’ve
been able to make our goals, but
and well-being. And they are providing tools and resources to help
employees work remotely. there is a lot of extra stress. They
tell us, ‘You just need to figure it
However, fewer companies have taken steps to adjust the norms and out.’ Delay is not an option.”
expectations that are contributing to employee burnout. Less than a
third of companies have adjusted their performance review criteria to LATINA, ONE CHILD (AGE 1), FIELD/FRONTLINE8
account for the challenges created by the pandemic, and only about
half have updated employees on their plans for performance reviews
or their productivity expectations during Covid-19. That means many
employees—especially those who are parents and caregivers—are
facing the choice between falling short of pre-pandemic expectations
that may now be unrealistic, or pushing themselves to keep up an
unsustainable pace.
There is also the issue of financial anxiety. Companies are putting

policies and programs in place to ease employees’ financial stress.
More than half have increased paid leave7—which is an important
option for employees who need time off but can’t afford to miss a
paycheck—and about a third have added or expanded stipends to
offset the costs of working from home. However, these supports don’t
address the issue employees are most worried about: the possibility of
being laid off or furloughed. Sadly, for companies struggling financially
or rethinking their business, it may not be possible to reassure their
employees on this front.
A CLOSER LOOK
How companies are

supporting employees
Most companies have taken steps to help employees during Covid-19,
including sharing valuable information and expanding support
services. However, fewer companies have taken action to address the
root causes of feeling burned out and “always on.”
COMPANIES HAVE STEPPED UP BUT CAN DO

MORE TO ADDRESS BURNOUT AND FINANCIAL ANXIETY
% of companies that have communicated to employees vs. % of companies that have provided support to employees during Covid-19
What companies have communicated . . . What companies have provided to employees . . .9
Childcare/homeschooling challenges Maintained Started or expanded
Information about your company’s Parenting and

paid leave policies 88% homeschooling resources 18% 46%
Burnout
Productivity expectations during Changed performance

51% 37%
the crisis review process10
Plans for performance reviews

during the crisis 51%
Mental health & well-being
Commitment to the mental health

and well-being of employees
90% Mental health counseling 56% 44%
Information about your company’s Health checks and

97% 51% 41%
mental health services healthcare services
Personal well-being and 28% 63%

enrichment programs
Bereavement counseling 82% 8%

Financial anxiety
Information about your company’s 28%

86% Emergency loans/grants 21%
financial situation
Information about how employees

69% Stipends to offset the costs 11% 33%
will be paid during the crisis (e.g.,
of working from home
pay cuts or raises)
Announcement that there will be

no layoffs for a period of time 37% Job training and re-skilling 58% 21%
100% 100%
Covid-19 could
push many
mothers out of
the workforce
IN THEIR WORDS
“ I feel like I am failing at everything. I’m failing at

work. I’m failing at my duties as a mom. I’m failing
in every single way, because I think what we’re
being asked to do is nearly impossible. How can
you continue to perform at the same level as in the
office when you had no distractions, plus being
asked to basically become a teacher for kids and
everything else with online learning? I’m doing it
all, but at the same time I’m feeling like I’m not
doing any of it very well. I also worry that my
performance is being judged because I’m caring
for my children. If I step away from my virtual desk
and I miss a call, are they going to wonder where I
am? I feel that I need to always be on and ready to
respond instantly to whatever comes in. And if
that’s not happening, then that’s going to reflect
poorly on my performance.”
WHITE WOMAN, TWO CHILDREN (AGES 7 AND 11), VP

During Covid-19, childcare
“
and housework have mostly
There’s an assumption in a lot of
fallen to mothers families that the woman is the
primary caregiver. Kids literally walk
past their dads to go to their moms to
Decades of research show that women do significantly more housework and
childcare than men—so much so that women who are employed full-time are
ask for stuff. The pandemic has
often said to be working a “double shift.”11 During Covid-19, women—and highlighted how disproportionately
mothers in particular—are taking on an even heavier load. Mothers are more things fall on women.”
than three times as likely as fathers to be responsible for most of the housework
and caregiving.12 In fact, they’re 1.5 times more likely than fathers to be ASIAN AMERICAN WOMAN, THREE CHILDREN
spending an extra three or more hours a day on housework and (UNDER AGE 5), MANAGER
childcare—equivalent to 20 hours a week, or half a full-time job.
Meanwhile, for the 1 in 5 mothers who don’t live with a spouse or partner, the
challenges are even greater. Single mothers are much more likely than other
parents to do all the housework and childcare in their household, and they are
also more likely than mothers overall to say that financial insecurity is one of 76% of mothers with children under
their top concerns during the pandemic. age 10 say childcare is one of their
top three challenges during
Covid-19, compared to 54% of
fathers with young children.
MOTHERS ARE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST OF THE HOUSEHOLD LABOR
Distribution of household labor for heterosexual parents in dual-career couples13
Fathers Mothers
3%
11%
More than 70% of fathers think they are
splitting household labor equally with
their partner during Covid-19—but only
44%
44% of mothers say the same.
72%
My partner is responsible for most of the work

I share responsibilities equally with my partner
39%
I am responsible for most of the work
I am responsible for all of the work
13%
12%
3%
A CLOSER LOOK
Covid-19 has been

especially challenging for
Latina and Black mothers
“
I have weeks when I feel burned out.
Before the pandemic, my parents
helped with childcare, but now
everything falls on me. I feel
overwhelmed at least two or three
days a week. It’s really hard to put
Latina and Black mothers are shouldering heavier toddlers and babies on a schedule
burdens than white mothers. They are more likely to be and have them entertain themselves.
their family’s sole breadwinner or to have partners The biggest challenge is meetings. I
working outside the home during Covid-19. They are
need to be available for meetings at
doing more at home, too: Latina mothers are 1.6 times
more likely than white mothers to be responsible for all
core business hours, and it’s very
childcare and housework, and Black mothers are twice hard to focus when my kids are in
as likely to be handling all of this for their families. the room.”
LATINA, TWO CHILDREN (UNDER AGE 4),

MANAGER
On top of increased
demands at home, mothers
worry they’ll be judged more
harshly at work
Because of the heavier demands that mothers are shouldering at home, it’s
especially difficult for them to balance work and life during Covid-19. Mothers
“
I don’t talk about my caregiving
responsibilities with my boss.
Women with children always have
some stigma attached to them in
the workplace. People might think I
don’t work as hard because I have
are more likely than fathers to feel exhausted and to say that childcare and children. I never want that stigma to
homeschooling are among their biggest challenges during the pandemic.
be attached to me and my work.”
Mothers also face persistent bias in the workplace. There’s a false perception
ASIAN AMERICAN WOMAN, TWO CHILDREN
that mothers can’t be truly invested in both family and work and are therefore (AGES 5 AND 7), DIRECTOR
less committed than fathers and women without children.14 And when mothers
take advantage of flexible work options, that perception is strengthened, even
if they are just as productive as other employees.15 Now that family demands
are front and center—and sometimes literally visible to co-workers over
videoconferencing—this bias may be intensified.
Mothers are clearly concerned about how this bias could impact their careers
during Covid-19. They are more than twice as likely as fathers to worry that
their performance is being judged negatively because of caregiving
responsibilities. They are also far more likely to feel uncomfortable sharing
work-life challenges—or that they’re a parent at all—with colleagues.
MOTHERS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN FATHERS TO

FEEL JUDGED FOR CAREGIVING DURING COVID-19 FATHERS MOTHERS
Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, % of parents who have experienced . . .
Discomfort sharing Worry about performance Discomfort sharing

work-life challenges16 being judged due to caregiving17 status as a parent16
5%
2.6x
more Non-parent caregivers face
stigma, too. Employees caring for
11%
13%
sick or elderly relatives also worry
their performance will be judged
2.1x negatively because of these
more
19% responsibilities.
1.5x
more
24%
29%
One in three mothers

may be forced to scale
back or opt out
Given the enormous challenges mothers are facing at work and at
home, two things should come as no surprise: Many mothers are
considering downshifting their career or leaving the workforce, and
mothers are significantly more likely to be thinking about taking
these steps than fathers.
Among mothers who are thinking about downshifting or leaving, a

majority cite childcare responsibilities as a primary reason.
“ There were times when I said to my husband,

‘One of us is going to have to quit our job.’ And
I remember thinking, ‘How come I’m the only
one thinking about this, and my husband isn’t?’
I don’t think him leaving was ever in question.”
ASIAN AMERICAN WOMAN, TWO CHILDREN (AGES 1

AND 5), SENIOR MANAGER
MOTHERS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN FATHERS TO CONSIDER SCALING BACK OR LEAVING BECAUSE OF COVID-19
% of employees who have considered changing their work situation during the Covid-19 crisis
Fathers Mothers
Reducing my
9% 17%
work hours
Switching to a less
11% demanding job 16%
9% Taking a leave 15%

of absence
Moving from a full-time 8%
2%
role into a part-time role
Leaving the workforce
4% altogether18 7%
20% 10% 0% 0% 10% 20%

Companies are
at risk of losing
women in
leadership
IN THEIR WORDS
“ At the start of the crisis, the markets were

tanking and so much was unknown—not just
about personal life, but also about the future of
our business. There was a pressure I personally
felt leading a 200-person team. For all of them, I
had to solve basic questions like, ‘Does
everyone have laptops?’ and make major safety
calls like, ‘Everybody, get home.’ I felt a personal
responsibility to take care of my team and make
sure that they weren’t scared, that they had
marching orders, and that they had guidance on
the state of our business . . . I’m also providing
advice to my own boss and management team.
We had to figure out what we were going to do
differently to protect the business, given all of
the unknowns.
“Not only that, but I don’t have a sliver of time

without a meeting from 8 AM until 6 PM every
single day. There’s no buffer to get a glass of
water, go to the bathroom, check on my child. I
had a couple of days in the past two weeks
where I barely saw my son for 15 minutes. Since
Covid-19, I’ve really thought about whether I can
have a long-term career at this company.”
WHITE WOMAN, ONE CHILD (AGE 3), VP

Senior-level women are facing

heightened pressure both at
19
work and at home
Senior-level women are under the same pressure to perform as senior-level
men—and then some. Women are often held to higher performance standards
than men, and they may be more likely to take the blame for failure—so when the
stakes are high, as they are now, senior-level women could face sharper criticism
and harsher judgment.20 Senior-level women are also nearly twice as likely as
women overall to be “Onlys”—the only or one of the only women in the room at
work. That comes with its own challenges: Women who are Onlys are more likely
“
The greatest challenge has
been the ability to
disconnect from work. I get
out of bed and go straight to
my office, which is 20 steps
away. And it’s very easy to
than women who work with other women to feel pressure to work more and to get in early and stay late
experience microaggressions, including needing to provide additional evidence because there’s more than
of their competence.
enough work to be done.”
Not surprisingly, senior-level women are significantly more likely than men at the BLACK WOMAN, C-SUITE
same level to feel under pressure to work more and as though they have to be EXECUTIVE
“always on.” And they are 1.5 times more likely than senior-level men to think
about downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce because of Covid-19.
Almost 3 in 4 cite burnout as a main reason.
SENIOR-LEVEL WOMEN ARE BURNING OUT

AT A HIGHER RATE THAN SENIOR-LEVEL MEN SENIOR MEN SENIOR WOMEN
In the past few months, % of employees who have consistently felt . . .
54%
39%
36%
41%
27% 29%
Pressured to Exhausted Burned out

work more
Companies can’t afford

to lose women leaders
The possibility of losing so many senior-level women is alarming.
The financial consequences could be significant. Research shows that when

women are well represented at the top, companies are 50 percent more likely to
outperform their peers.21
Beyond that, senior-level women have a vast and meaningful impact on a

company’s culture. They are more likely than senior-level men to embrace
“
This has been the most
challenging professional and
personal year of my life. I
have days where it all feels
hopeless. I’ve been thinking
about stepping back, which I
employee-friendly policies and programs22 and to champion racial and gender never did before Covid-19. I’m
diversity: Over 50 percent of senior-level women say they consistently take a looking for roles at other
public stand for gender and racial equity at work, compared to roughly 40 percent
companies with a smaller
of senior-level men. And they’re more likely to mentor and sponsor other women:
team and shorter hours.”
38 percent of senior-level women currently mentor or sponsor one or more
women of color, compared to only 23 percent of senior-level men. WHITE WOMAN, ONE CHILD (AGE 3), VP
If women leaders leave the workforce, women at all levels could lose their most
powerful allies and champions.
SENIOR-LEVEL WOMEN ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY

THAN SENIOR-LEVEL MEN TO PRACTICE ALLYSHIP
% of men in senior leadership vs. women in senior leadership who consistently take allyship actions
ALL EMPLOYEES SENIOR MEN SENIOR WOMEN
I actively listen to the personal

stories of women of color
41% 42% 63%
about bias and mistreatment
I publicly acknowledge or
give credit to women of color
39% 44% 60%
for their ideas and work
I take a public stand to

support gender equality
28% 42% 61%
I take a public stand to

support racial equality
29% 40% 53%
I mentor or sponsor one or

more women of color
23% 38%
10%
Black women are

less likely to feel
supported at work
during Covid-19
IN THEIR WORDS
“ There was a real silence after George Floyd

happened. And I felt like that silence ripped
open a wound that I didn’t realize had been
so deep. What was disappointing, and what I
heard from multiple Black colleagues was, ‘I
have all these people who I work with every
single day who I think care about me. But that
week we were mourning as a community, and
no one reached out. No one said a word.’ I
kept thinking that one day somebody was
going to say something, but no one did. It’s
like, if you’re on a tight-knit team and
somebody has a family member pass away,
you reach out. You send them a note. You do
something, some gesture, because they’re
your co-worker, and they’re also a human
being. But no one I work with did that after
George Floyd.”
BLACK AND LATINA WOMAN, MANAGER

The workplace has always

23
been worse for Black women
Compared with their colleagues of other races and ethnicities, Black women
have always had distinct, and by and large worse, experiences at work. They are
promoted more slowly than other groups of employees and are significantly
underrepresented in senior leadership. They are less likely than women of other
races and ethnicities to say their manager advocates for new opportunities for
them. And they have fewer interactions with senior leaders, which means they
often don’t get the sponsorship and advocacy they need to advance. Given these
“
It took too long for me to get to my
current role, given the contributions
I’ve made. Others got to the same
position with fewer achievements
and in less time. I think there was a
lack of willingness by others to
challenges, it’s not surprising that Black women are less likely than employees of sponsor me, to advocate for me, to
other races to report they have equal opportunity to advance at work. acknowledge my skill set. While I’ve
had great opportunities, they were
Black women also deal with more day-to-day bias in their workplaces. They face not equal to the opportunities
a wider range of microaggressions, from having their judgment questioned to
offered to other employees.”
hearing demeaning remarks about themselves or people like them. Additionally,
half of Black women are often Onlys for their race. Black women who are Onlys BLACK WOMAN, C-SUITE EXECUTIVE
are especially likely to feel scrutinized, under increased pressure to perform, and
as if their actions reflect positively or negatively on people like them.
Black women experience

a wider range of
microaggressions at
work. For example, they
are twice as likely as
white women to hear
colleagues express
surprise at their language
skills or other abilities.
Now Black women are facing

even greater challenges
Black women are being disproportionately impacted by the difficult events of 2020.
They are more than twice as likely as women overall to say that the death of a
loved one has been one of their biggest challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the start of Covid-19, Black
And incidents of racial violence across the U.S. are exacting a heavy emotional toll. women are more likely than other
employees to think about leaving
Work should be a supportive place for Black women amid these national and global the workforce because of concerns
crises. Unfortunately, for many, that’s not the case. Black women are less likely than over their health and safety.
women overall to report that their manager has inquired about their workload or
taken steps to ensure that their work-life needs are being met, and only about a
third say their manager has fostered an inclusive culture on their team.24
Additionally, fewer than 1 in 3 Black women report that their manager has checked
in on them in light of recent racial violence. And Black women are far less likely
than white colleagues to say they have strong allies at work. Black women are almost twice as
likely as women overall to say
All of this is having an impact on Black women. They are more likely than that they can’t bring their whole
employees of other races and ethnicities to feel uncomfortable talking with selves to work and more than 1.5
colleagues about the impact current events have had on their community and their times as likely to say they don’t
own grief and loss. They also feel more reluctant to share their thoughts on racial have strong allies.25
inequity. And compared with other employees, Black women feel more excluded at
work and are less likely to say they can bring their whole selves to work.
BLACK WOMEN OFTEN DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE BRINGING THEIR WHOLE SELVES TO WORK
% of employees who agree with the following statements. . .
42%
22%
19%
14% 15%
10% 9%
7%
6%
ALL ALL BLACK ALL ALL BLACK ALL ALL BLACK

MEN WOMEN WOMEN MEN WOMEN WOMEN MEN WOMEN WOMEN
I feel uncomfortable sharing my I feel uncomfortable sharing my I feel like I can’t talk about the impact
thoughts about racial inequity26 experience of grief or loss26 current events are having on me or
people in my community27
A CLOSER LOOK
Many employees see

themselves as allies to
women of color—but they
aren’t taking enough action
“ I’ve had co-workers who think they’re
being great allies, but there’s so much
more they can do. They support their
Black colleagues in theory, but they
don’t call anyone out for saying or doing
things that hurt their Black colleagues.”
BLACK WOMAN, ONE CHILD (AGE 3), DIRECTOR

When an “ally” is defined as someone who uses their power to
support or advocate for others with less power, more than 60
percent of employees consider themselves to be allies to
women of color at work. But relatively few employees are
consistently taking common allyship actions, such as publicly
advocating for racial equality, publicly confronting Employees in traditionally
discrimination, and mentoring and sponsoring women of color. marginalized groups are often more
likely to take key allyship actions.
Allyship matters. Black women who have strong allies are more Black women are almost three times as
likely to be happy with their jobs, believe they have equal likely as men overall to mentor and
opportunity to advance, and feel like they can bring their whole sponsor women of color, and women
selves to work. overall are much more likely than men
to publicly recognize women of color
for their ideas and contributions.
EMPLOYEES WHO SAY THEY ARE ALLIES DON’T ALWAYS TAKE ACTION MEN WOMEN
% of employees who say they are allies to women of color vs. % who consistently take allyship actions
65%
61%
52%
45%
34% 35%
32% 32% 32%
ALLYSHIP 26%
ACTIONS
12%
8%
I am an ally to women I actively listen to the I publicly acknowledge If I see discrimination I take a public I mentor or sponsor
of color at my work personal stories of or give credit to women against women of stand to support one or more women of
women of color about of color for their ideas color, I actively work to racial equality color
bias and mistreatment and work confront it
It’s important to
understand that
intersectionality
impacts women’s
experiences
There is no one experience

of women during Covid-19
Across all the data about how employees are faring during the Covid-19 crisis,
two trends stand out. First, women are having a worse experience than men.
Second, women aren’t all having identical experiences. Black women, Latinas,
Asian women, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities are facing distinct
challenges. It’s important for companies to understand this so they can address
those challenges directly.
HOW DIFFERENT GROUPS OF WOMEN ARE FEELING DURING COVID-19 BETTER EXPERIENCE WORSE EXPERIENCE
% of employees who have felt . . .
Comparison of LGBTQ+ women and women Comparison of women by

with disabilities to men and women overall race and ethnicity
ALL ALL LGBTQ+ WOMEN WITH WHITE ASIAN BLACK

MEN WOMEN WOMEN DISABILITIES WOMEN WOMEN LATINAS WOMEN
46% 53% 58% 61% Stressed 55% 47% 49% 47%
31% 37% 43% 46% Exhausted 37% 37% 34% 40%
28% 32% 37% 40% Burned out 33% 30% 27% 33%
10% 11% 12% 22% Excluded 11% 10% 10% 17%
20% 22% 25% 36% In the dark 22% 18% 19% 23%
Can’t talk about impact

7% 9% 16% 15% 7% 7% 8% 22%
of current events
Discomfort sharing
9% 13% 20% 24% 13% 12% 14% 16%
challenges
A CLOSER LOOK
Covid-19 has been

especially difficult for
women with disabilities28
For women with disabilities, doing their jobs amid the pandemic is
particularly hard. They are less likely to report getting the flexibility they
need at work during the pandemic, and they are more likely to feel
excluded, in the dark, and uninformed.
These challenges have a clear negative impact. Women with disabilities

are more likely than other groups of women to feel stressed, burned out,
“
I’m barely hanging on. I recently
let my direct manager know
[about my disability], and I am
glad that he is aware so he
knows I may not be as
accessible on some weeks. But
and exhausted. They are almost twice as likely as women overall to be it was also very difficult for me
uncomfortable sharing the challenges they’re facing with their to tell him because this is a job
teammates or managers and more than twice as likely to be where people will stop giving
uncomfortable talking about their health at work. you work on a dime if they
perceive that you’re weak.”
WHITE WOMAN WITH A DISABILITY,

MANAGER
PART 2: THE PATH FORWARD
Companies are at a
critical crossroads
35 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: SOLUTIONS
The choices companies make could shape

the workplace for women for decades to
come—for better or for worse.
The challenges facing companies right now are serious. Millions of

women are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the
workforce. The broken rung, which has held millions of women back
from being promoted to manager, is still broken. Black women are
dealing with additional challenges—including long-standing issues of
racial bias—and getting less support from managers and co-workers.
There are two paths ahead. If companies recognize the scale of

these problems and do all they can to address them, they can help
their employees get through this difficult time and even reinvent the
way they work so it’s more flexible and sustainable for everyone. If
not, the consequences could badly hurt women, business, and the
economy as a whole. This moment requires long-term thinking,
creativity, strong leadership, and a laser focus on the value of women
to their organizations.
SOLUTIONS
A Framework
for Action
Success will look different for different organizations, but two
things are clear: Companies need to address the heightened
challenges women are facing, and they need to better support
Black women.
How companies
can address the
core challenges
women are facing
To retain the women most

impacted by the challenges of
Covid-19, companies need to take
steps to reduce the additional
pressures they’re experiencing.
Here are six key areas where companies

should focus or expand their efforts:
1. Make work more

sustainable
A sustainable pace at work is essential to helping mothers,
senior-level women, and all employees facing burnout get through
this crisis. To make this happen, leaders and managers need to
look at productivity and performance expectations set before
Covid-19 and ask if they’re still realistic. They may also need to
reset goals, narrow project scopes, or keep the same goals and
extend deadlines. Currently, only a small number of managers are
“
At every level of management, the
communications have been very
clear that you need to have
downtime to balance your work life
and your home life. They gave tips
like, when you send an email, say
something like, ‘Hey, I don’t need this
doing this.
until Thursday morning,’ so that
employees are not always on. And to
Additionally, finding creative ways to give employees extra time off
makes a difference. For example, we’ve heard from companies that help people take a break, they told
have offered “Covid-19 days” to give parents a chance to prepare us, ‘There’s no commute anymore to
for the new school year and from companies that close for a few help you break up the day, so you
Fridays each quarter to give everyone an opportunity to recharge. should schedule a walk at 5:30.’
Those are really nice things to hear.”
ASIAN AMERICAN WOMAN, ONE CHILD (AGE 10),

SENIOR MANAGER
2. Reset norms around

flexibility
“
Covid-19 has made it much harder for employees to draw clear lines between
work and home, and many employees feel like they are “always on.” We’re looking at whether to
Companies should look for ways to re-establish work-life boundaries. For make some bigger
many, this may require setting new work norms—for example, establishing set
structural changes to
hours for meetings, putting policies in place for responding to emails outside
typical business hours, and improving communication about work hours and
scheduling norms, like
availability within teams. company-wide flexibility,
no-meeting Wednesdays,
Companies can also encourage employees to set their own boundaries and or no-meeting lunches.”
take full advantage of flexible work options. Even when these options are
CHRO, RETAIL INDUSTRY
available, some employees worry there may be a stigma attached to using
them. To mitigate this, leaders can assure employees that their performance
will not be measured based on when, where, or how many hours they work.
Leaders can also communicate their support for workplace flexibility—57
percent of employees say senior leaders at their company have done this
during Covid-19. In addition, leaders can model flexibility in their own lives,
which sends a message to employees that it’s okay to take advantage of
flexible work options. When employees believe senior leaders are supportive
of their flexibility needs, they are less likely to consider downshifting their
careers or leaving the workforce.
3. Take a close look at

performance reviews
Performance reviews are an important part of running an effective organization
and rewarding employees for their contributions. But given the shift to remote
work and the heightened challenges employees are coping with in their personal
lives, performance criteria set before Covid-19 may no longer be appropriate.
Managers can relieve employees’ stress—and refocus on key priorities—by
reassessing performance criteria set before the pandemic to make sure those
criteria are still attainable. Bringing criteria into line with what employees can
reasonably achieve may help to prevent burnout and anxiety—and this may
ultimately lead to better performance and higher productivity.29
CASE STUDY
Adobe is helping managers

to support employees’
work-life needs
Throughout the pandemic, flexibility has been a critical need for
employees, especially working parents. Adobe is trying to address this by
giving managers the tools to make flexible schedules the norm. All
managers have been asked to meet with each team member about their
schedule constraints and accommodate flexibility needs as much as
possible. Managers went into these meetings armed with information to
make the conversation more productive, including FAQs, tip sheets, and
insights from a virtual Q&A session on flexibility during the pandemic.
Adobe’s employee pulse survey of August 2020 suggests these efforts are
genuinely helping. Questions about whether managers care about
employee well-being and whether employees have the flexibility they need
received favorability rates30 of 85 percent and higher.
4. Take steps to minimize
“
gender bias
We really need to change the
The pandemic may be amplifying biases women have faced for years:
definition of what performing
higher performance standards, harsher judgment for mistakes, and
strongly means this year. A woman
penalties for being mothers and for taking advantage of flexible work
options.31 These biases could show up in new ways during Covid-19: For on my team asked me, ’How is this
example, when judgmental comments are made about young children all going to impact my ability to get
playing in the background on video calls; when co-workers assume, promoted? Is the fact that I have
consciously or unconsciously, that women are less committed to their jobs; children at home and I have to divide
or when managers are evaluating women in performance reviews. Given
my time, will that hurt my chances of
that managers and team members have less visibility into their colleagues’
day-to-day work, they may be more likely to make assumptions about their
getting promoted?’ I want to say, ’No,
performance, and this increases the chance of bias creeping in. it’s not going to hurt you.’ But how do
I put that into action? In reality, it may
To mitigate the biases that women are up against, companies need to make hurt her chances when she is up
sure that employees are aware of them. Leaders and employees should against a man who didn’t have to
publicly speak to the potentially outsized impact of bias during Covid-19. deal with any of that.”
Bias training can also help. In the past year, just 1 in 4 employees has
participated in unconscious bias training, and even employees who have VP, FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY
participated in the past would benefit from a refresher. And finally, it’s
important to track outcomes for promotions and raises by gender—as well
as the breakdown of layoffs and furloughs by gender—to make sure women
and men are being treated fairly.
5. Adjust policies and programs

to better support employees
“
Many companies have extended policies and programs to support
employees during Covid-19, from offering more paid time off to We made it very clear to our
providing resources for homeschooling. Companies should make sure associates from the beginning of the
employees are aware of the full range of benefits available to them.
pandemic that our first priority was
Right now, there’s a significant gap between what companies offer
their health and safety. And we
and what employees are aware of. For example, almost all companies
offer mental health counseling, but only about half of employees offered extended sick leave and
know this benefit is available. The same trend holds for other valuable family leave. We heard from
programs such as parenting resources, health checks, and associates that it really made a
bereavement counseling. difference. It alleviated a lot of
anxieties they were feeling. What
As organizations settle into this new normal, they should determine
seems like a simple policy change
how effectively they are addressing employees’ biggest challenges
really has far-reaching power to
and reallocate resources to the programs that are most valuable.
Given how unprecedented this crisis is, they should also consider support our employees.”
whether their benefits go far enough to support employees.
CHIEF TRANSFORMATION OFFICER,
TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY
6. Strengthen employee
communication
“
Open and frequent communication with employees is critical, especially
in a crisis; when employees are surprised by decisions that impact their Since Covid-19, our senior leadership
work, they are three times more likely to be unhappy in their job. Yet, 1 has increased the number of
in 5 employees have consistently felt uninformed or in the dark during touchpoints, whether it’s through
Covid-19. This suggests that companies should share more regular
town halls, webinars, or Zoom calls.
updates on the state of the business and key decisions that affect
employees’ work and lives—and they should directly address what We’ve used them to learn from
difficult news means for employees. It’s also critical that leaders and HR managers and associates and to
teams communicate with empathy, so employees feel valued and communicate what we’re doing to
understood. Research shows that this kind of openness and support employees, including
understanding reduces anxiety and builds trust among employees.32
resources for their emotional and
physical well-being.”
HR MANAGER, FOOD MANUFACTURING

INDUSTRY
Leaders must foster a culture of empathy.

Not all employees are facing the same
challenges during Covid-19. For example,
employees who do not have young
children—or who have a partner who is a
full-time caregiver—are likely having an
easier time juggling work and home. And
those who are financially secure may not be
worried about layoffs and furloughs. To get
everyone through this crisis, employees who
are under less strain need to invest in
understanding the experiences of their
colleagues who are struggling more. This is
especially true for senior leaders, who can
set a powerful example by practicing
empathy and reaching out to offer support.
How companies
can better support
Black women
Black women were already having a

worse experience in the workplace than
most other employees. Now they’re
facing all the same challenges other
women are—plus heightened challenges
rooted in racism.
To better support Black women, companies need to

take action in two critical areas:
1. Address the distinct challenges

Black women face head-on
Black women are significantly underrepresented at all levels of
management. That’s an injustice—and it’s also a business problem.
“
Diverse companies are more innovative and productive, so when Black
women are held back by bias, it hurts everyone.33
We’ve made commitments as a
The first step to solving this is making an explicit commitment to company to racial diversity. We laid
advancing and supporting Black women and communicating it to out how we would increase the
employees, along with a clear explanation of why it’s important. Many
representation of Black managers to
employees don’t realize that Black women are having a markedly worse
experience at work. But for six years, this study has shown this to be 25 percent, and we’d add at least 100
true: Compared with women of other races and ethnicities, Black Black employees to leadership. We’re
women face more systemic barriers, receive less support from also going to partner with historically
managers, and experience more acute discrimination. If employees black colleges and universities and
understand this, they will be more likely to champion the Black women
set up scholarships for Black students
in their organization.
at community colleges.”
Then, to address the distinct experiences of Black women, companies HR MANAGER, FOOD MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
should adopt an intersectional approach to their diversity efforts. Many
corporate diversity efforts focus on either race or gender, which means
women of color may end up being overlooked. In contrast, when
companies set goals and track outcomes by gender and race
combined, they can gain data-driven insights into the barriers Black
women are facing and target specific interventions with recruiting,
mentorship, and sponsorship.
2. Foster a culture that supports

and values Black women
Companies need to foster a culture in which Black women are fully
“
valued and included. There are two equally important parts of this:
making it clear that discriminatory behavior and microaggressions won’t
be tolerated, and taking real steps to make sure Black women get the We had Black employees speak to
formal and informal support that other employees do.
leadership and they told us that there
Many companies have specific guidelines for conduct that is not
is systemic racism in our company.
acceptable, which is a good first step. But it’s also important to explain That was really hard to hear. But we
what positive, inclusive behavior looks like and celebrate examples of it decided we had to own it. We put out
in practice. Employees will be better equipped to do their part if they a statement saying, ‘We know this is
receive diversity and allyship training; this will give them a more not okay. We thought we were doing
complete understanding of how to combat racial discrimination and
a good job with racism, but we’re
how to show up for Black women as allies.
not.’ We had a huge blind spot with
Finally, it’s important to reflect on organizational customs, rituals, and issues of race in the U.S. And we
norms to make sure they’re inclusive. For example, are Black women have to fix it.”
being included in informal gatherings? Are team events held in spaces
where everyone is welcome and safe? Gathering input from Black CHRO, RETAIL INDUSTRY
women on what is and isn’t working for them is critical to this
process—as is giving Black women a voice in shaping new company
norms. The more that companies take into account the unique
perspectives and experiences of different groups of employees, the
more effectively they can create an inclusive culture.
A CLOSER LOOK
When racial violence in the

news goes unaddressed at
work, it can leave Black
employees feeling like they
“
I talked to company leaders and
told them, ‘Black people at this
company are not okay.’ They
responded better than I expected.
They put out a statement, and
they’ve started having difficult
conversations that they probably
don’t belong should have had a long time ago.
I’m happy with the response, but
Non-Black co-workers may think it’s insensitive to call attention ask me a year from now if I’m still
to incidents of racial violence—but for Black employees who are happy. Because while the action
grieving, acting like nothing happened is often worse. is happening, and while everyone
Colleagues should find ways to thoughtfully speak up and reach is on this journey, yes, it’s great.
out as allies. Managers should check on Black team members
But if a year from now we’re no
and ask them what they need. And senior leaders need to
publicly acknowledge these events.
longer talking about this, then it
was all for nothing.”
BLACK WOMAN, ONE CHILD (AGE 5),

DIRECTOR
CASE STUDY
Levi Strauss & Co. is providing

tactical training in allyship
To help employees become effective allies, Levi Strauss & Co. has been
conducting quarterly allyship workshops since early 2020. For example, in
June, the topic was “Standing with the Black community.” Participants were
asked to reflect on the inequities and injustices that Black Americans
experience. They then discussed what meaningful allyship is in practice
and planned some actions they would take to be better allies and to help
combat systemic racism.
Feedback about the allyship sessions has been positive, with over 90
percent of participants rating the workshops a 10 out of 10. Participants
shared that they had learned the first steps to becoming allies: Work on
their own bias, be okay with feeling uncomfortable, and be open to difficult
conversations. Others said that they felt encouraged by the passion they
saw in their co-workers to understand and support communities of color.
A CLOSER LOOK
Managers play a critical role—and

they need more direction and support
“
Companies should empower managers to do more to alleviate stress and
exhaustion on their teams. For example, two-thirds of companies have instructed
managers to check in with employees about their workload and well-being during I wish my manager had held
the Covid-19 crisis. But only about a third have asked managers to take specific some check-ins and had
steps to ensure that parents’ work-life balance needs are being met. And very
been a little bit less
few companies have directed managers to take bolder action: only 8 percent have
business as usual during the
asked managers to reduce their team’s scope of work. Although this is not
always possible, alleviating work that is not critical would lessen the pressure early days of the crisis. It
on employees. would have given people
more peace of mind. I
Managers would benefit from more guidance on how to best support Black women.
Compared with women of other races and ethnicities, Black women are less likely would’ve liked to have been
to report that their manager has taken steps to ensure their work-life needs are asked, ‘Hey, how are you?
being met. And less than a third of Black women report that their manager has Do you feel like you’re
checked in with them in light of recent racial violence—or think that their manager being supported during this
fosters an inclusive environment. More manager training could help. In the past
time?’ Especially for team
year, 1 in 3 managers has received unconscious bias training, and just 1 in 5 has
members who have families
received training on fostering diversity and inclusion. Companies should also create
opportunities for managers to share challenges and brainstorm solutions together. at home or who have never
worked from home before, I
It’s worth remembering that managers will be better equipped to show up for their
didn’t see those
teams if they feel more supported themselves. Company leadership should
encourage managers to take full advantage of flexible work options, and their own conversations being had.”
managers should check in regularly to see how they’re doing and what they need.
BLACK/LATINA MANAGER
COMPANIES HAVE ASKED MANAGERS TO CHECK IN—

BUT MANAGERS MAY NEED MORE GUIDANCE COMPANIES EMPLOYEES
% of companies saying they have instructed managers to take actions vs. % of employees saying manager has taken actions during Covid-19
100%
73% 68%
What companies have
43%
asked managers to do
39% 37% 36% 8%

What employees say
2%
their managers do
Check in weekly to make Check in weekly on Take steps to ensure that Reduce scope
sure workload is mental health and parents’ work/life needs of work
manageable well-being are being met34
CONCLUSION
The Road to
Progress
If companies can rise to the challenges the Covid-19
crisis has thrown into high relief, we may be laying the
foundation for a better workplace.
51 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: CONCLUSION
There are early signs that

remote work can help level
the playing field
The Covid-19 crisis has prompted companies to rethink fundamental beliefs
about remote work. Ninety-three percent of companies now say more jobs can
be performed remotely, and 67 percent predict a significant share of their
employees will regularly work remotely in the future.35 Employees see the
benefits of remote work, too—almost 8 in 10 say they want to continue to work
from home more often than they did before Covid-19.
“
We’re now looking at remote work as
an opportunity to expand our talent
pool. We’ll no longer require that you
have to have a desk on-site in a
major city. It will help us from a D&I
perspective.”
This could be the beginning of a seismic shift in the way we work, with VP OF D&I, TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY
enormous implications. Companies will be able to hire anyone, from anywhere,
as opposed to limiting their recruiting to specific regions. And they already
anticipate these benefits: 70 percent think remote work will allow them to
increase diversity in their hiring. Moreover, remote work will open up
opportunities for existing employees—particularly mothers, caregivers, and
people with disabilities. These employees will be able to take on jobs that
previously would have required them to relocate, travel extensively, or
manage a long commute.
The shift to remote work means less

business travel: Many companies are
reconsidering the need to have
employees travel for face-to-face
meetings and events. More than 9 in 10
PHOTO PLACEHOLDER
companies say they will cut business
travel moderately or significantly as a
result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and
only about 1 in 100 companies expects
business travel to increase.
The building blocks of a more

empathetic workplace may
also be falling into place
Many companies have made employee mental health and well-being a much
higher priority in the face of this crisis. Employees have more visibility than ever
before into what’s going on in one another’s personal lives. And companies say
that the crisis has created a feeling of solidarity and fostered empathy and
understanding among employees.
Taken together, these dynamics point to an increased focus on supporting

employees as “whole people.” And when employees feel like they can bring their
whole selves to work, good things happen: They are happier with their job, more
optimistic about their company’s commitment to gender and racial equality, and
less likely to consider downshifting their career or leaving the workforce. They’re
also more comfortable sharing challenges with managers and co-workers, which
gives companies visibility to make changes that improve employees’
experiences. It’s a positive cycle: The more employees can bring their whole
selves to work, the more the workplace will work for them and everyone.
PHOTO PLACEHOLDER
This is a pivotal moment

Companies have shown a growing commitment to gender
diversity since the first year of this study in 2015.
That commitment is more important than ever right now.
If companies rise to the moment with bold action, they can protect
hard-won gains in gender diversity and lay the foundation for a
better workplace long after Covid-19 is behind us.
54 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Acknowledgments
McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org would like to thank
the 317 companies and more than 40,000 employees who
participated in this year’s study. By sharing their
information and insights, they’ve given us new visibility
into the state of women in the workplace and the steps
companies can take to achieve gender equality.
We also appreciate the continued help of Defined

Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA),
Equity Collaborative, Healthcare Businesswomen’s
Association, International Dairy Foods Association,
Massachusetts High Technology Council, Press Forward,
SEMI Foundation, Women’s Network in Electronic
Transactions (WNET), and Women’s Foodservice Forum in
convening participants in their respective industries.
We would also like to thank Getty Images for providing

the photography used in this report from the
Lean In Collection.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR COMPANIES

To read more McKinsey insights on gender, diversity, and
equity, visit mckinsey.com/featured-insights/
diversity-and-inclusion.
Lean In’s 50 Ways to Fight Bias is a virtual activity and

video series that highlights more than 50 specific
examples of bias against women at work and offers
research-backed recommendations for what to do. Ninety
percent of participants say they know what specific
actions to take when they see bias against women at
work. To access the free digital version of the program,
which has been optimized for virtual gatherings, visit
leanin.org/50Ways.
55 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: REPORT AUTHORS
Report authors
RACHEL THOMAS is CEO of LeanIn.Org, the nonprofit she LAREINA YEE is a senior partner and the chief diversity and
co-founded with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to help women inclusion officer at McKinsey & Company. Her client focus is in the
achieve their ambitions and create a more equal world. Under her technology sector, where she leads McKinsey’s Scaled Innovators
leadership, Lean In has become a go-to resource for original Initiative examining how technology can reshape industries.
research and data-backed tools to dismantle systemic bias at work, Lareina has pioneered McKinsey’s research on the business case
and the Lean In community has grown to include tens of thousands for diversity and belonging, advancing women in business, and
of small peer-support Circles in 183 countries. Rachel regularly leads McKinsey’s 10 Actions to advance racial justice.
speaks and writes on issues that affect women and is the host of
Tilted, a podcast on the intersection of gender and culture.
ALEXIS KRIVKOVICH is the managing partner in McKinsey’s San
Francisco office and a leader in the Financial Services Practice,
MARIANNE COOPER, Ph.D., is a sociologist at the VMware Women’s overseeing FinTech efforts in North America. She helps companies
Leadership Innovation Lab at Stanford University, where she align their organizations for growth and productivity. Alexis is a
conducts research on gender, women’s leadership, and diversity and thought leader on financial innovation and diversity and is
inclusion. She served as lead researcher for Sheryl Sandberg’s passionate about advancing women in leadership.
best-selling book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead and is
an author on all six of the Women in the Workplace reports. She is a
JESS HUANG is a partner in McKinsey’s Silicon Valley office. She is
contributing writer to The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Harvard
a leader in the Marketing and Sales practice, where she leads
Business Review, as well as a LinkedIn influencer.
McKinsey’s Loyalty work in North America. She advises consumer
retail companies on growth topics including digital strategy, loyalty,
GINA CARDAZONE, Ph.D., is the head of research at LeanIn.Org. As digital marketing, and customer analytics. Jess is a frequent author
a community and cultural psychologist, she works to improve lives on retail and digital marketing topics and often speaks on
and strengthen communities through research, design, systems advancing women in business.
thinking, and innovation. Prior to joining LeanIn.Org, Gina was a
researcher and advisor to coalitions, nonprofits, and federal agencies
SARA PRINCE is a partner in McKinsey’s Atlanta office. She has 15
including the Department of Labor and the Corporation for National
years of experience serving clients on growth strategy, commercial
and Community Service.
capability building, and growth transformation. Sara has also
co-authored McKinsey’s groundbreaking series Diversity Matters,
KATE URBAN is LeanIn.Org’s lead research writer, where she linking financial performance and levels of gender and ethnic
translates data into digestible content and thought leadership. She diversity in a company’s leadership team, and founded McKinsey’s
holds a master’s degree in earth systems from Stanford University Black Leadership Academy.
and is passionate about using the combined power of data, empathy,
and communication to build a more equal and resilient world.
ANKUR KUMAR is an associate partner in McKinsey’s New York
Previously, Kate worked as a writer and editor at Coursera and other
office and a leader in McKinsey Academy, a client-facing practice
mission-driven organizations.
focused on capability building and leadership development. Ankur
is an expert in diversity and co-leads McKinsey’s Black Leadership
ALI BOHRER is chief of staff at LeanIn.Org. She guides the Academy.
organization’s strategic priorities and leads the execution of its
large-scale initiatives. Ali is passionate about changing the landscape
SARAH COURY is an engagement manager in McKinsey’s Chicago
for women in corporate America and knocking down the barriers
office. She serves consumer and retail clients on marketing topics,
holding them back. Prior to joining Lean In, she was a senior analyst
with a passion for helping brands craft their growth and
at McKinsey & Company.
go-to-market strategies. Sarah has led special projects to address
COVID-19 impacts for retail companies.
MADISON LONG is LeanIn.Org’s lead business analyst who steers
data-driven projects to grow Lean In’s global community and
maximize its impact. Madison is passionate about youth advocacy
and empowering girls of color to create a more equal, accessible,
and resilient world. Previously, she was a senior financial analyst
at Microsoft.
56 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: CORPORATE PIPELINE BY INDUSTRY
CORPORATE PIPELINE BY INDUSTRY
Industries have different talent pipelines*

Although women are broadly underrepresented in corporate America, the talent
pipeline varies by industry. Some industries struggle to attract entry-level
women (hardware, IT and telecom), while others fail to advance women into
middle management (food manufacturing) or senior leadership (healthcare).
ENTRY LEVEL MANAGER SR. MANAGER VP SVP C-SUITE
ASSET MANAGEMENT AND

INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS
BANKING AND
CONSUMER FINANCE
CONSUMER PACKAGED
GOODS*
ENERGY, UTILITIES, AND

BASIC MATERIALS
ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL

MANUFACTURING*
FOOD AND BEVERAGE

DISTRIBUTION*
FOOD AND BEVERAGE

MANUFACTURING
HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS
AND SERVICES*
INSURANCE
57 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: CORPORATE PIPELINE BY INDUSTRY
ENTRY LEVEL MANAGER SR. MANAGER VP SVP C-SUITE
IT SERVICES AND
TELECOM
MEDIA AND
ENTERTAINMENT*
OIL AND GAS
PHARMACEUTICALS AND
MEDICAL PRODUCTS
PROFESSIONAL AND
INFORMATION SERVICES
PUBLIC AND SOCIAL SECTOR*
RESTAURANTS
RETAIL*
TECHNOLOGY: HARDWARE
TECHNOLOGY: SOFTWARE
TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS,
AND INFRASTRUCTURE*
* This year, select industries, especially those disproportionately affected by Covid-19, saw significant change in participation rates from years past. As a result, participant composition in 2020 in these select
industries is not directly comparable to years past: Consumer Packaged Goods; Engineering and Industrial Manufacturing; Food and Beverage Distribution; Healthcare Systems and Services; Media and
Entertainment; Public and Social Sector; Retail; and Transportation, Logistics, and Infrastructure.
58 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: METHODOLOGY
Methodology
This report is based on research from 317 companies across the Human resource professionals provided information on policies,
United States and Canada, building on similar research conducted programs, and priorities on behalf of their company between June and
annually by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org since 2015, as well August 2020. Additionally, employees were surveyed on their
as research from McKinsey & Company in 2012. workplace experiences between June and August 2020. These
datasets represent point-in-time snapshots and reflect companies’
Participating companies from the private, public, and social sectors responses and employees’ experiences at the time that the survey
submitted talent pipeline and/or policies and programs data. In was taken.
addition, more than 40,000 employees from 47 companies were
surveyed on their workplace experiences, and we interviewed 49 Where appropriate, some statements describing women’s experiences
women and men of different races and ethnicities, LGBTQ+36 women, in the workplace were taken from past survey data that has been
and women with disabilities at all levels in their organizations. We published in prior Women in the Workplace reports and/or the State of
conducted an additional seven interviews with HR leaders. We Black Women in Corporate America.
highlight case studies from two companies that have taken innovative
action in the past year to further diversity, equity, and inclusion.
PIPELINE DATA AND ANALYTICS
We grouped companies by industry to create benchmarks that provide
Overall Metrics
peer comparisons. The number of companies from each industry is as
All pipeline metrics (e.g., representation, promotion rates, hiring
follows:37,38
shares, attrition rates) were initially calculated for each participating
● Asset Management and Institutional Investors – 29 company. Company results were then averaged for each industry, and
each industry’s data was weighted by the composition of the Fortune
● Banking and Consumer Finance – 29
500 in 2019. This enabled us to avoid overemphasizing or
● Consumer Packaged Goods – 5 underemphasizing particular industries and better estimate trends
● Energy, Utilities, and Basic Materials – 15 over time based on each year’s sample of companies.
● Engineering and Industrial Manufacturing – 10
The industry breakdown of the Fortune 500 used for our weighting
● Food and Beverage Distribution – 8
was:39
● Food and Beverage Manufacturing – 13
● Healthcare Systems and Services – 20 ● Retail – 17%
● Insurance – 9 ● Energy and Basic Materials – 16%
● IT Services and Telecom – 10 ● Finance – 17%
● Media and Entertainment – 7 ● Tech – 12%
● Oil and Gas – 15 ● Healthcare – 8%
● Pharmaceutical and Medical Products – 23 ● Engineering, Automotive, and Industrial Manufacturing – 11%
● Professional and Information Services – 9 ● Food and Restaurants – 7%
● Public and Social Sector – 15 ● Media and Entertainment – 4%
● Restaurants – 12 ● Transportation, Logistics, and Infrastructure – 5%
● Retail – 9 ● Professional and Information Services – 2%
● Tech - Hardware – 21
● Tech - Software – 33 Definition of Job Levels
Companies categorized their employees into six levels based on the
● Transportation, Logistics, and Infrastructure – 5
following standard definitions, taking into account reporting structure
and salaries. The levels and definitions provided were:
Companies opted in to the study in response to invitations from
McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.Org or by indicating interest through
● L1 – Executives: CEO and direct reports to CEO, responsible for
our public website. Participation in the Employee Experience Survey
company operations and profitability (board members are not
was encouraged but optional.
included in our primary analyses unless they are also employees)
All data collection occurred between May and August 2020. Talent ● L2 – Senior vice presidents and other similar roles: Senior
pipeline data reflects representation of men and women as of leaders of the organization with significant business unit or
December 31, 2019, as well as personnel changes (e.g., due to functional oversight
promotion, hiring, attrition) during 2019. Therefore, all talent pipeline
data predates the COVID-19 crisis’ impact on the US and Canada ● L3 – Vice presidents and other similar roles: Leaders within the
workforce, and these effects are not reflected in this year’s talent organization, responsible for activities/initiatives within a sub-unit
pipeline section. of a business unit or function, or who report directly to senior vice
presidents
59 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: METHODOLOGY
Methodology
● L4 – Senior managers: Seasoned managers and contributors, conducted factor analysis to identify features in the model that were
with responsibility for multiple teams and discrete functions or truly independent. The factors were generated via a principal axis
operating units factoring method and varimax rotation on a heterogenous correlation
matrix. Multilevel logistic regression models with a random industry
● L5 – Managers: Junior managers and contributors, responsible
intercept were used to quantify the relationship between variables
for small teams and/or functional units or operations
and the outcomes of interest. Likelihood ratio tests were used to
● L6 – Entry level: Employees responsible for carrying out discrete validate the use of multilevel logistic models against a simpler
tasks and participating on teams, typically in an office or multivariate regression via a 50-50 chi-squared mixture test
corporate setting (field employees like cashiers or customer (α=0.05)40 and intra-class correlation calculations. Variable selection
service representatives are not included in our primary talent procedures were implemented to further refine the model via
pipeline analyses) additional likelihood ratio testing and comparative multilevel LASSO
regression. Model fit was assessed via two Information Criteria (AIC
Metrics and Analytics and BIC). Findings reported highlight the conditions and practices
Talent pipeline data included the representation of men and women that significantly predicted the outcome of interest (p-value <0.5) and
(overall and, optionally, by race/ethnicity). Additionally, companies had a sufficiently large effect size (OR<.75 or OR>1.3).
reported the number of men and women who were hired, promoted,
and who left the company (overall and, optionally, by race/ethnicity). Impact of Women Leaving the Workforce or Downshifting Their
Careers
Promotion and attrition rates were calculated for women and men, To consider the implications of women leaving the workforce
overall and by race, at each level. Promotion rates were calculated by disproportionately in a hypothetical “worst-case scenario,” we first
dividing the number of promotions of that gender into a level by the estimated the number of men and women employed at each level
number of employees of that gender in the level below at the start of across North America41 by applying our pipeline representation data
the year. Attrition rates were calculated by dividing the number of each to total employees in North America42,43. We then calculated the
gender who left the company at a given level by the number of number of men and women who would consider leaving the
employees of that gender in that level at start-of-year. workforce or downshifting their careers based on their responses to
the 2020 Employee Experience Survey44,45. These results were used
to show loss in representation of women in the worst-case scenario.
EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE SURVEY AND ANALYTICS
Survey Participation Note: This methodology assumes that in the true worst-case scenario,
Forty thousand employees from 47 companies elected to participate in all employees who consider leaving the workforce will actually leave
the Employee Experience Survey. The survey questions covered the workforce, and all manager- and senior-level employees who
multiple themes (e.g., employee well-being, work flexibility, remote consider switching to a less demanding job move to
work, the state of diversity, equity, manager actions, allyship) as well as non-management positions.
demographic questions (e.g., age, sexual orientation, family status).
HR PROGRAMS AND POLICIES
Bivariate and Multivariate Statistical Reporting
Human resource professionals from 313 companies provided
Survey results were reported as an unweighted pooled average of
information on gender diversity policies and programs on behalf of
responses across companies. Many of the questions offered a
their company. We report the percentage of companies that have a
five-point, labeled response scale (e.g., “strongly disagree” to “strongly
program, policy, priority, or position out of the total number of
agree”). Unless otherwise specified, analyses aggregated the top-two
companies that submitted this type of data.
and bottom-two boxes of the response scale (e.g., “somewhat agree”
and “strongly agree”).
QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS
Where we highlight differences between genders or other groups, we
We conducted individual interviews with 49 women and men from 13
highlight only those differences that are substantial and reliable. To
companies from a range of industries, including Banking and
that end, all differences noted in this report are statistically significant
Consumer Finance, Engineering and Industrial Manufacturing, Food &
at a 95 percent confidence level using a two-tailed test and reflect a
Beverage Distribution, Oil & Gas, Pharmaceutical and Medical
difference of at least five percentage points between two groups.
Products, and Technology. Interviewees were volunteers selected to
reflect a range of levels, functions, and demographic groups. Our
Regression Analysis
interviews focused on women’s workplace experiences in order to
We used regression analyses and factor analysis to identify the
gain a deeper understanding of the quantitative findings from the
conditions and practices most predictive of employees’ likelihood to
employee survey. Individual names, company names, and any other
consider leaving (defined as taking a leave of absence or leaving the
identifying information were kept strictly confidential and individuals
workforce entirely, excluding retiring, also referred to as “stepping
are anonymized in this report. Additionally, we interviewed seven HR
out”) or downshifting their careers (defined as reducing hours,
leaders from different sectors. Within the quotes, some identifying
switching to a less demanding job, or moving from full-time to
details may have been altered and/or withheld to protect the
part-time). For this, we selected the top questions shown to have a
speaker’s anonymity.
strong pairwise correlation with the outcomes of interest, then
60 | WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE: ENDNOTES
Endnotes
1 McKinsey Global Institute, “COVID-19 and gender equality: Countering the regressive effects” (July 15, 2020),
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/covid-19-and-gender-equality-countering-the-regressive-effects; McKinsey & Company,
“COVID-19: Investing in Black lives and livelihoods” (April 14, 2020),
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-and-social-sector/our-insights/covid-19-investing-in-black-lives-and-livelihoods.
Note: Throughout the Women in the Workplace study, “women of color”’ includes Black, Latina, Asian, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian,
Pacific Islander, and mixed-race women. However, due to small sample sizes, reported findings on individual racial/ethnic groups are restricted to Black,
Latina, and Asian women.
2 McKinsey & Company, “COVID-19: Investing in Black lives and livelihoods.”
3 “Leaving” or “stepping out” is defined in this report as taking a leave of absence or leaving the workforce altogether. “Downshifting” or “slowing down”
is defined as reducing work hours, moving to a part-time role, or switching to a less demanding job. There was also a “retire” option, which is not included
here and is distinct from leaving the workforce altogether.
4 Total percent of women and men per level in race and gender pipeline may not sum to overall corporate pipeline totals, as the race pipeline does not
include employees with unreported race data.
5 Full question: Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, what have been the biggest challenges for you as an employee? [Select up to 3] | Anxiety over
layoffs and furloughs.
6 Full question: Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, what have been the biggest challenges for you as an employee? [Select up to 3] | Responses were
selected from a list of 12 possible responses and “None of the above,” and are presented in order of frequency.
7 Full question: Which of the following has your company done in response to the Covid-19 crisis? [Select all that apply] | One or more of the following:
Increasing paid family leave, increasing paid sick time, increasing paid time off.
8 This report contains stock photographs for illustrative purposes only. Images do not reflect the identities of the women quoted. Within the quotes, some
identifying details may have been altered and/or withheld to protect the speaker’s anonymity.
9 Unless otherwise noted, Full question: Which of the following are you providing to support employees during the Covid-19 crisis? | Started providing;
Expanded existing offering; Maintained existing offering.
10 Full question: How is your company managing performance reviews during the Covid-19 crisis? | Performance reviews are still taking place with
adjusted evaluation criteria to account for challenges created by the Covid-19 crisis (30%); Employees will receive the same rating as they did in the
previous review cycle (2%); Performance reviews have been put on hold or canceled (5%).
11 Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Average hours per day parents spent caring for and helping household children as their main activity,” American Time Use
Survey (2019), https://www.bls.gov/charts/american-time-use/activity-by-parent.html; Arlie Russell Hochschild, The Second Shift: Working Parents and the
Revolution at Home (New York: Viking, 1989).
12 Restricted to heterosexual parents who live with spouses or partners that work full-time or are self-employed .
13 Restricted to heterosexual parents who live with spouses or partners that work full-time. Chart does not include respondents [fathers: 1%, mothers: 2%]
who answered, “Another person (e.g., friend, roommate, family member) was responsible for at least half of the work.”
14 Shelley J. Correll, Stephen Bernard, and In Paik, “Getting a Job: Is There a Motherhood Penalty?” American Journal of Sociology Vol. 112, no. 5 (2007):
1297–1339.
15 Heejung Chung and Tanja van der Lippe, “Flexible Working, Work-Life Balance, and Gender Equality: Introduction,” Social Indicators Research
(November 2018), https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-018-2025-x.
16 Full question: While interacting with co-workers during the past few months, there have been times when I felt uncomfortable sharing: [Select all that
apply] | My work-life challenges; My status as a parent.
Endnotes
17 Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, which of the following have you experienced at work? [Select all that apply] | Worry that my performance is being
judged negatively because of my caregiving responsibilities.
18 This does not include employees who only said they were considering retiring.
19 “Senior-level women” refers to women Vice Presidents, Senior Vice Presidents, and C-suite Executives.
20 Ashleigh Shelby Rosette and Robert W. Livingston, “Failure is not an option for Black women: Effects of organizational performance on leaders with
single versus dual-subordinate identities,” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 48, no. 5 (2012): 1162–1167; Victoria L. Brescoll, Erica Dawson, and
Eric Luis Uhlmann, “Hard won and easily lost: The fragile status of leaders in gender-stereotype-incongruent occupations,” Psychological Science 21, no. 11
(2010): 1640–1642.
21 McKinsey & Company, “Diversity wins: How inclusion matters” (May 19, 2020),
https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Featured%20Insights/Diversity%20and%20Inclusion/Diversity%20wins%20How%20inclusion%20matters/Di
versity-wins-How-inclusion-matters-vF.pdf.
22 Paul Ingram and Tal Simons, “Institutional and Resource Dependence Determinants of Responsiveness to Work-Family Issues,” The Academy of
Management Journal 38, no. 5 (1995): 1466–82, http://www.jstor.org/stable/256866?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents.
23 Findings in this section on the historical experiences of Black women in corporate workplaces are primarily derived from previous Women in the
Workplace reports, and can be found in the 2020 State of Black Women in Corporate America report.
24 “Recent racial violence” refers to incidents of violence against Black Americans committed by law enforcement officers in early 2020, prior to the
survey’s distribution in June–August 2020.
25 Full question: How much do you agree with the following statements? I feel I can bring my whole self to work. | I have strong allies on my team (i.e.,
people who use their power to advocate for people with less power). | Somewhat/strongly disagree.
26 Full question: While interacting with co-workers during the past few months, there have been times when I felt uncomfortable sharing | My thoughts
about racial inequity; My experience of grief or loss.
27 Full question: Since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, which of the following have you experienced at work? | Feeling like I can’t talk about the impact
current events are having on me or people in my community.
28 Disabilities include both visible disabilities (e.g., mobility impairments) and invisible disabilities (e.g., chronic health conditions).
29 Roy BL Sijbom, Jonas WB Lang, and Frederik Anseel, “Leaders’ achievement goals predict employee burnout above and beyond employees’ own
achievement goals,” Journal of Personality 87, no. 3 (2019): 702–714, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jopy.12427.
30 The favorability rate is calculated by the number of people who selected “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” divided by the total number of employees who
responded to the survey.
31 Joan C. Williams and Rachel Dempsey, What Works for Women at Work; Shelley J. Correll et al., “Getting a Job: Is There a Motherhood Penalty?”;
Heejung Chung and Tanja van der Lippe, “Flexible Working, Work-Life Balance, and Gender Equality: Introduction.”
32 Linjuan Rita Men et al., “‘Vision, passion, and care:’ The impact of charismatic executive leadership communication on employee trust and support for
organizational change,” Public Relations Review 46, No. 3 (September 2020), https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0363811120300540.
33 Sangeeta Badal, “The Business Benefits of Gender Diversity,” Gallup (January 20, 2014),
https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236543/business-benefits-gender-diversity.aspx; Katherine W. Phillips, “How Diversity Makes Us Smarter,” Scientific
American (October 1, 2014), https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-diversity-makes-us-smarter.
34 Full question for companies: In response to the Covid-19 crisis, which of the following has your company instructed managers to do? | Take steps to
ensure that mothers’ work-life needs are being met, Take steps to ensure that fathers’ work/life needs are being met. In this instance, percentage of
employees is restricted to responses from parents.
Endnotes
35 Full question: What percentage of employees do you expect to be regularly working remotely (i.e., a majority or all of the time) a year from now? |
21%–50% of employees; 51%–90% of employees; Almost all employees.
36 Due to small sample sizes, all women identifying as lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, otherwise non-heterosexual, and/or transgender were analyzed and
reported in a single category as LGBTQ+ women.
37 297 organizations submitted pipeline data. Overall weighted pipeline is based on 284 private sector firms and does not include public and social
sector organizations or law firms.
38 Select industries, especially those disproportionately affected by Covid-19, saw a significant change in participation rates from years past. As a result,
participant composition in 2020 in these select industries is not directly comparable to years past: Consumer Packaged Goods; Engineering and Industrial
Manufacturing; Food and Beverage Distribution; Healthcare Systems & Services; Media and Entertainment; Public and Social Sector; Retail; and
Transportation, Logistics, and Infrastructure.
39 Percentages sum to 99 percent due to rounding.
40 Daniel O. Stram, and Jae Won Lee. “Variance components testing in the longitudinal mixed effects model,” Biometrics (1994): 1171–1177.
41 In this report, “North America” refers to the U.S. and Canada.
42 Source: United States - Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employed persons by occupation, sex, and age; Canada - Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0202-01
Employment by industry, annual.
43 Note: All field/frontline workers were excluded from the analysis.
44 Responses to Q35 are “Taking a leave of absence” OR “Leaving the workforce altogether” OR “Switching to a less demanding job” OR “Reducing
work hours” OR “Moving from a full-time role into a part-time role.”
45 Loss in number of women overall was calculated based on those who considered “Taking a leave of absence” OR “Leaving the workforce altogether.”
For loss in representation of senior women and managers, we also included those who had considered “Switching to a less demanding job.”

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Women in CORPORATE AMERICA

About the study

Sign up to participate in the 2021 study at womenintheworkplace.com.

05 Part 1: Covid-19 has disrupted the workplace in

07 Section 1: The State of the Pipeline

10 Section 2: Impact of Covid-19

31 It’s important to understand that intersectionality impacts

34 Part 2: Companies are at a critical crossroads

36 Solutions for Companies

50 Conclusion: The Road to Progress

This is the sixth year of the Women in the

The State of the

We have made slow but

REPRESENTATION OF CORPORATE PIPELINE BY GENDER AND RACE MEN WOMEN

% of employees by level at the start of 2020

However, the “broken

As the Covid-19 crisis wears

Taken together, these challenges paint a picture of a workforce that is dealing

Some challenges loom larger for

4. Childcare and/or homeschooling responsibilities

5. Physical and mental health of loved ones

Certain challenges are more likely to

>> Lack of ﬂexibility at work

>> Housework and caregiving burdens due to Covid-19

>> Feeling blindsided by decisions that aﬀect their day-to-day work

>> Feeling unable to bring their whole self to work

Companies are stepping

There is also the issue of ﬁnancial anxiety. Companies are putting

How companies are

COMPANIES HAVE STEPPED UP BUT CAN DO

What companies have communicated . . . What companies have provided to employees . . .9

Childcare/homeschooling challenges Maintained Started or expanded

Information about your company’s Parenting and

Productivity expectations during Changed performance

Plans for performance reviews

Mental health & well-being

Commitment to the mental health

Information about your company’s Health checks and

Personal well-being and 28% 63%

Bereavement counseling 82% 8%

Information about your company’s 28%

Information about how employees

Announcement that there will be

“ I feel like I am failing at everything. I’m failing at

WHITE WOMAN, TWO CHILDREN (AGES 7 AND 11), VP

During Covid-19, childcare

Distribution of household labor for heterosexual parents in dual-career couples13

My partner is responsible for most of the work

Covid-19 has been

LATINA, TWO CHILDREN (UNDER AGE 4),

MOTHERS ARE MORE LIKELY THAN FATHERS TO

Discomfort sharing Worry about performance Discomfort sharing

One in three mothers

Among mothers who are thinking about downshifting or leaving, a

“ There were times when I said to my husband,

ASIAN AMERICAN WOMAN, TWO CHILDREN (AGES 1

9% Taking a leave 15%

20% 10% 0% 0% 10% 20%

“ At the start of the crisis, the markets were