Women feel more pressure to work remotely when sick, survey finds

Women working remotely are more likely to feel obliged to work when sick, a new survey has found, with a greater number of female employees likely to suffer mental exhaustion compared with their male counterparts.

The Workhuman research found 57 per cent of women in Ireland feel they must work while sick when working remotely, while only 34 per cent of men say they feel the same pressure.

Women are also more likely to feel mentally exhausted after work, with 40 per cent of female employees reporting it versus 32 per cent of men.

The survey, which was carried out by Dynata on behalf of the software group, questioned almost 2,300 full-time employees in the Republic, the UK, the US and Canada.

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Although women and men said they were equally likely to feel respected at work, at 65 per cent and 64 per cent respectively, that figure was lower for parents in Ireland compared with internationally. While 72 per cent of parents in the UK, US and Canada said they felt respected, that figure in the State was just 64 per cent. And while just over half of parents globally in the survey said they felt overworked, 60 per cent of Irish parents said they had felt that way in the past 12 months.

Women are also more likely to value diversity and inclusion in the workplace, the survey found, with 84 per cent citing it as an important consideration when it comes to remaining at their current organisation, compared with 73 per cent of men.

Almost half of men working in Ireland see a clear path for growth in their organisation, compared with 42 per cent of women.

“This research highlights work practices and sentiments in a post-pandemic world and allows us to observe how Irish workers fare against their global counterparts. Women working remotely in Ireland clearly feel significantly more pressure to work while they are unwell, compared to their male colleagues. Whether this is external or internal pressure, it is something that must be addressed by every organisation as they strive to create more human-led workforces,” said Niamh Graham, senior vice-president of global human experience at Workhuman.