Message from the Director

“It has been over 30 years since sex discrimination legislation made it illegal to discriminate against women in the workplace, but in 2007 the issues for women remain as complex as ever.  70% of working age women are in employment, but we make up only 10% of FTSE boards. However, when you look much lower down the scale women are disproportionately represented.

It has been estimated that 5.6 million women and men in the UK are currently working in part-time jobs well below their potential because of a lack of quality part time work.

There is still a persistent and rather shocking pay gap between the sexes. Women working full time earn on average £559 per month less than men.  For part-time women workers the pay gap is even more dramatic, in fact it has changed little in 35 years.

Although there are evidently still some depressing inequalities in the labour market, the prize for employers who are willing to tackle and challenge the current status quo could be huge. The total benefits to the UK economy of reducing the gender segregation of jobs and increasing women’s employment has been estimated as anything up to a massive £23 billion. It could raise output in the UK by an equivalent 2% of Gross Domestic Product.

Changing lifestyles and demographics mean that in the future the pool of prospective candidates and indeed the workforce will look very different from today. It is estimated that over the next ten years, 1.3 million new jobs will be created and 12 million jobs will change hands as workers leave the labour market. An ageing society means that men and women may need to or choose to work for longer. With this aging population also comes an increased need for elder care which may cause a demand for more flexibility in terms of job design.

Coupled with the compelling demographic evidence, research and experience  has proved that if employers get their workplace cultures right and create environments where women and men can succeed and thrive, they can reap the benefits on many different fronts.

For example, research from the states involving 353 of the Fortune 500 companies demonstrated a direct link between corporate performance and gender diversity. The group of companies with the largest number of women in senior management had a 36% higher return on investment than the quartile with the lowest female representation.  BT’s commitment to flexible working arrangements has brought significant business benefits.  The company estimates that remote working has saved it over £450 million in office costs alone.  It also believes that since committing to flexibility its productivity has increased by anywhere between 15% and 31% and absenteeism has fallen by 63 per cent, and staff retention has increased dramatically. A fully inclusive workforce can have positive knock on effects right across the board from staff morale, loyalty and retention, to attraction of talent, increased creativity, and problem solving capacity. It can enhance brand reputation and help attract new business". 

Opportunity Now Director

Sarah Williams- Gardener