Not only are female workers in the technology industry earning less than their male counterparts, but a new survey by Mason Frank International found women are less likely to be offered flexible working options compared to men.
The recruitment firm surveyed more than 2,500 tech professionals and found 22 per cent of female respondents indicated home and flexible working was important to them, compared to 19 per cent of men. However, more men — 64 per cent compared to 58 per cent of women — said they’re offered flexible working options.
Read: Pay gap between women, men in Canadian tech jobs is nearly $20K per year: study
Regardless of gender, the popular perk often comes with what Mason Frank calls the “flexibility stigma.” About a third (39 per cent) of all surveyed workers said they’ve experienced negative consequences as a result of working flexibly, while 18 per cent believed it negatively impacted their careers. Working mothers were hit harder by the flexibility stigma than men, according to the survey. Just 26 per cent of working mothers said they feel flexible working has negatively impacted their careers, compared to only 13 per cent of men without children and 11 per cent of working dads.
Despite the stigma, home and flexible working is still seen as a key perk when women are considering a job. When asked which benefits would influence accepting a job offer, 24 per cent of female respondents indicated flexible working hours is important to them, while 39 per cent said they’d be influenced by home working as a benefit.
Read: Editorial: Employers, flex your flexible working muscles