Gender bias guaranteed to affect women in senior roles at private firms, says survey

Women in senior roles at private companies are guaranteed to come across gender bias against them, a survey suggests.
The research by the law firm Cripps found that all 101 directors and founders it approached had encountered bias against them because of their gender, with 95 per cent saying it had affected their careers.
The women at firms with revenues of £10 million to £300 million in sectors such as real estate, retail, leisure, technology and financial services, cited six barriers to career progression. These included access to affordable childcare, flexible working, equal pay, a lack of support after parental leave and opportunities to show leadership skills.
Victoria Symons, a partner at Cripps, said: “We have found resource is typically the go-to excuse for many of these mid-sized businesses, which are typically aggressively pursuing growth on a budget. However, big differences can be made from small changes that are in reach for cash-strapped businesses.”
She suggested that firms mandate gender-bias training, as well as provide more flexible working environments, mentoring and access to childcare.
More than a quarter of the senior directors said taking a career break to start a family had prevented them from reaching their potential sooner, with a fifth saying that balancing work with caring responsibilities was a challenge.
The research comes a month before changes to the Worker Protection Act which will force employers to take more stringent steps to prevent sexual harassment. From October 26 companies will need to “take reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment of their workers, including by third parties.
Last week the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the equality watchdog, issued guidance for employers on what this should entail. Its advice includes developing and widely communicating “a robust” anti-harassment policy and undertaking regular risk assessments to identify where sexual harassment may occur and the steps that will be taken to prevent it.
Employers should also “be proactively aware of what is happening in the workplace” and spot “warning signs” by engaging with staff through one-to-one meetings, surveys and exit interviews, the watchdog said.
Kate Palmer, employment services director at Peninsula, the HR services consultancy, says that the tightening of the rules around sexual harassment at work are timely given the allegations against Mohamed Al Fayed, the late former owner of upmarket department store Harrods, who has been accused by former employees of sexual assault and rape.
“Concerns should not be brushed under the carpet or ignored, nor should employers implement measures and then walk away thinking their job is done. These measures need to be regularly reviewed, to assess their effectiveness and update where gaps are identified or legislation changes,” she said.