Pandemic exacerbates gender inequality and stress at work

Travail.Suisse said there was still a lack of suitable structures for supplementary childcare in families and schools Keystone / Christian Beutler

The Covid-19 pandemic has worsened gender inequalities in the world of work, according to an annual survey. Women are “significantly less satisfied” than men in all six categories that are monitored; four years ago this was the case only for stress.

The Barometer Good Work 2021External link by employees’ umbrella organisation Travail.Suisse found that men had a more positive perception of pandemic relief measures than women. These included longer rest periods, health protection measures and improved equipment and working environments – for example, the possibility to work from home.

One in five respondents also felt that women had fewer opportunities for advancement in management positions. There are also still significant differences in terms of equal pay, it said.

Travail.Suisse said the Covid-19 crisis had made discrimination “which had already severely affected women’s lives and careers” even worse.

The barometer “clearly shows” that much more ambitious political measures must be taken to achieve equality, it said.

‘Worrying level’ of stress

More than three-quarters of employees said they were able to combine their work with their private life. However, a third were often or very often too exhausted to take care of private matters.

This problem is particularly noticeable in households with children or people who are still caring for relatives.

Travail.Suisse said there is still a lack of suitable structures for supplementary childcare in families and schools and, in view of the ageing population, also in the support of caring relatives. Only a third of these people are supported by their employers, according to the survey.

In any case, employee stress is at a “worrying level”. Almost 45% of employees often feel stressed by their work. Employers must reduce the intensity of work so that the health of their employees does not suffer, Travail.Suisse demanded.

Job fears

Overall, the seventh such barometer indicated that working conditions were assessed better than in previous years in most areas. Several criteria were assessed significantly better by employees.

However, Travail.Suisse attributes this to the timing of the survey, which was conducted among some 1,500 people aged 16-64 in June 2021, when many anti-Covid measures were relaxed.

It is therefore hardly surprising, the organisation wrote, that the participants rated the short-term perspective and thus job security significantly better than in previous years. However, almost half of the employees still feared that they would not be able to find a comparable job if they were made redundant.