News & Information

CCH® HR MANAGEMENT — 02/05/07

Most women aren't "opting out" of the workforce, study finds

Contrary to numerous reports that imply women are "opting out" of the work force in large numbers, a study of professional women released January 16 finds that the great majority of those women are negotiating flexible work arrangements as a way to remain in the workplace, while continuing to see their incomes grow. Study authors say women are leading the way to a new career model for women and men.

The study found that more than 90 percent of the women surveyed have used some kind of flexible work arrangements during their careers, and 88 percent of them used flexible work arrangements at some point in their careers to remain employed full time while managing complex lives.

Professor Mary Shapiro of the Simmons School of Management in Boston, lead study author, said the study showed that "women are leading the way in how all employees in the future will take more control over managing their careers. They are shifting the career paradigm."

And unlike earlier reports that warned that women who ask for flexible work arrangements will experience decreased earning power, the women surveyed who used flexible work arrangements reported financial success: their incomes were no different than those of women who did not employ flexible work arrangements. More than 85 percent of the women were responsible for at least half of their household incomes.

The findings were from an online survey of more than 400 middle- and senior-level professional women from around the nation with an average of 20 years' work experience from across the business and non-profit spectrum, who attended the 2006 Simmons School of Management Leadership Conference in Boston. Conducted by the Simmons School of Management in collaboration with HP, a lead conference sponsor, the survey examined to what extent women were leaving the work force, why they make their career decisions, and how they manage work/life balance.

The women reported negotiating flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting, flexible hours, and a limitation on traveling or evening work at various points in their careers, as their primary ways to continue working while managing busy lives outside of work.

For additional information on this and other HR topics, consult CCH Human Resources Management or Personnel Practices/Communications.

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