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Women @ Work 2022:
A Global Outlook

Now in its second year, Women @ Work 2022: A Global Outlook aims to better understand how women’s experiences in the workplace impact their engagement and career progression. The survey provides a unique glimpse into the lives of women in the workplace, showing a worrying longer-term impact with respondents reporting widespread burn out.

Download the report

Companies that create a respectful and inclusive culture see higher levels of employee motivation, productivity, and retention. Is your organization on the right track?

The past year has spurred a period of change for many companies and employees—one that has brought both opportunities and challenges. Many employers have worked hard to take what they learned during the first year of the pandemic and combine it with more traditional ways of working (including implementing hybrid work models).

However, the responses of 5,000 women in the workplace across 10 countries make clear that the pandemic continues to take a heavy toll on women: burnout, for one, has reached alarmingly high levels. At the same time, many women have made career and life decisions driven by their experiences during the pandemic—for some this has meant seeking new, more flexible working patterns; for others it has meant leaving their employer or the workforce entirely.

Listen: Women @ Work 2022 Podcast

Deloitte's Global Inclusion Leader Emma Codd discusses key findings from the report.

Widespread burnout: fueled by rising stress levels

Despite shifting work arrangements, women report burnout and stress at alarming levels

say their stress levels are higher than they were a year ago

feel burned out

have taken time off work due to mental health challenges

feel comfortable disclosing mental health challenges as the reason for their absence

The Great Resignation is set to continue

Women are more likely to be looking for a new role than they were a year ago, and burnout is the top driving factor: nearly 40% of women actively looking for a new employer cited it as the main reason. Over half of women want to leave their employer in the next two years, and only 10% plan to stay with their current employer for more than five years.

Percentage of women who rated the following aspects of life as poor/very poor

Motivation at work

Job satisfaction

Ability to "switch off" work

Work/life balance

Hybrid working: an opportunity for change—but challenges exist

While the hybrid way of working presents opportunities—including, if done right, enabling many to maintain the flexibility that remote working can afford—it also creates a risk of exclusion for those not physically present.

For those working hybrid, which of these statements are true?

I feel excluded from meetings and interactions

I don't have enough exposure to leaders

I have clear expectations around where/how I work

Harassment and microaggressions are on the rise—and often go unreported

The majority of women (59%) have experienced harassment and/or microaggressions over the past year at work, a number that has increased since our 2021 report (52%).

of non-inclusive behaviors are reported

of women believe their employer will not take action if they report non-inclusive behaviors

of women believe reporting non-inclusive behaviors will impact their careers

Inclusive, supportive organizations gain a competitive advantage

Women who work for these companies report far higher levels of engagement, trust, and career satisfaction, as well as more positive experiences with hybrid working and lower levels of burnout. They also plan to stay with their employers longer.