Beyond Glass Ceilings and Brick Walls - International Labour ...

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conditions of work, where work is outsourced or where home-based work is part of its production and service delivery strategy. • Ensure that all machinery, equipment and tools are designed for use by both women and men. Frequently, these are designed by male designers on the assumption that they will be utilized by male workers; and are often cumbersome for women to use. Thus, organizations need to ensure that there is gender sensitivity vis a vis the design of workplace equipment and ensure that women as well as men are trained in their usage. Providing feedback to manufacturers with regard to gendered concerns becomes important in this context. • Minimize occupational hazards by conforming to safety/health standards. This is a basic requirement and a biding legal obligation to all employees. Yet, there are considerable areas for improvements in many industrial, plantation and service sector work settings. • Ensure the security of women employees (from sexual harassment/genderbased violence) within and around the workplace. Often women are the targets of other employees - superiors, colleagues as well as subordinates— where harassment and violence is concerned. All employees must feel totally secure in the place of work as well as in the surrounding areas so that they do not have additional stress to deal with. The adoption of existing provisions as well as taking proactive measures to ensure a safe workplace will be a major achievement for any organization; as a means of developing both employer loyalty and organizational reputations. • Account for occupational stress. Often employees work in high stress situations. The stress incurred may be in terms of the physical task performed and the physical risks involved, as well as mental stress where deadlines and targets are concerned. Stress affects people’s physical and psychological well-being quite noticeably. Companies must be mindful of such issues/conditions and act favourably to help people cope with workplace stress. There is a growing body of knowledge on this topic that management should be familiar with so as to adopt appropriate strategies. • Recognize and take responsibility for occupational ailments. With the widespread dependency on machinery at the workplace and in the work field, work-related illnesses are on the increase. Appropriate ergonomical designs relating to work environments, furnishings, equipment etc., as well as allowances in terms of time and medical care for the affected workers need to be introduced. • Account for family crises. Almost all employees have family responsibilities. In countries like Sri Lanka, there are strong social values associated with family ties. Sometimes, when there are major crises at home, people are torn between two sets of loyalties. Further, due to the poor social support 97
98 systems and the underdevelopment of the service sector, individuals have to respond to family crises at unexpected times. If management accounts for such situations and responds in constructive ways to these domestic needs it would be a clear reflection of a wholesome organizational ethos and good public relations. VIII. Allowances/Benefits • Introduce parental leave. This is becoming increasingly common the world over and in Sri Lanka. Parental leave recognizes the dual responsibilities of parenting by both the father and the mother - a situation that may lead to greater family harmony as well as added commitment to the employer. • Conform to existing maternity legislation. Subtle as well as direct violations must be avoided. • Provide enhanced maternity benefits beyond the minimum statutory requirements. This approach may be a radical departure from conventions where the private sector follows the state in providing benefits to workers. On the other hand, it must be noted that when it comes to other initiatives and benefits such as technology, efficiency in management etc., the private sector is far ahead. The same recognition and generosity is required when it comes to maternity benefits. • Provide the facility of extended leave of absence for family obligations. Some workers may have long term family obligations. Such responsibilities may prevent a person giving her/his best to the organization. Attempts to retain the member may require - innovative ways of helping the person through extended leave, flexi-time, working from home, etc. • Ensure that workers who return after maternity/paternity leave, or after extended absence due to family obligations, are able to return to their former positions or to posts of equal rank. • Ensure that workers who return after maternity/paternity leave, or after extended absence due to family obligations, are not discriminated against. These discriminations may not be overt; therefore, management needs to be conscious of the subtle ways in which such prejudices operate within organizations. • Adhere strictly to existing legislation which calls for the provision/ facilitation of safe transport for women workers working late. This calls of the recognition that there is a wider problem in the country as far as safe and efficient transport is concerned; and that the risk of being attacked and violated at night, in public places, is far greater for women. Employees’ security should be paramount to maximize on their wellbeing and productivity. • Provide company crèches for employees’ children.
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Beyond Glass Ceilings and Brick Wal
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The Wages Board Ordinance No. 27 of
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An assault may include any act that
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The most recent gender disaggregate
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Table 2 indicates the major occupat
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Table 5: Private Sector Employment
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Aside from the survey of 100 compan
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men in the public sphere working ou
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to higher education (including thos
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The inequalities and inequities cem
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Unfortunately, these entitlements a
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One interviewee stated how the mark
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Employee Mobility 24 Training Respo
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doubtful that management was aware
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There were facile explanations in r
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Some examples of conditions for wor
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such as secretaries, who may be pro
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There are, of course, many other wo
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Women who undergo sexual harassment
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out to be the victim. (He had also
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worker dissatisfaction. This in tur
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Workers Rights and Unionization Non
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and family balance, the needs of wo
Page 47 and 48: linked to the type of product or se
Page 49 and 50: Women’s dress is also taken to si
Page 51 and 52: Language is also utilized in unders
Page 53 and 54: 2) There is organizational prejudic
Page 55 and 56: 54 PART II
Page 57 and 58: undertaken for the purpose of pinpo
Page 59 and 60: III Strategic Management In today
Page 61 and 62: The concept of “quality of work l
Page 63 and 64: • Successful organizations will r
Page 65 and 66: is rising. People today see more op
Page 67 and 68: 1. Social Expectations and Gender S
Page 69 and 70: Centralized, hierarchical, top-down
Page 71 and 72: organizational cultures can be deve
Page 73 and 74: posts will be mutually beneficial.
Page 75 and 76: 1. Soft toy manufacturing 2. Tea tr
Page 77 and 78: In the ten companies selected for t
Page 79 and 80: Such situations can be avoided if c
Page 81 and 82: In the IT service provider company,
Page 83 and 84: The inability or reluctance to trav
Page 85 and 86: In such a framework, persons with a
Page 87 and 88: to be provided with opportunities f
Page 89 and 90: women are treated by male colleague
Page 91 and 92: I. At Policy Levels • Articulate
Page 93 and 94: within an organization needs to be
Page 95 and 96: III. Training and Development • I
Page 97: V. Promotions • Improve advanceme
Page 101 and 102: developing an enabling environment
Page 103 and 104: Organizational Superstructure: inst
Page 105 and 106: Employment of Women, Young Persons
Page 107 and 108: Sage Publications, (London / Thousa
Page 109 and 110: Contents Foreword Acknowledgments I
Page 111 and 112: Foreword Today, women are active ev
Page 113 and 114: I wish to express my sincere apprec
Page 115 and 116: Introduction This book is written w
Page 117 and 118: Moreover, these same gender unequal
Page 119 and 120: Hence, a majority of workplaces do
Page 121 and 122: Moreover, gender roles and responsi
Page 123 and 124: IT, hotels and travel. There is als
Page 125 and 126: This is followed by a more localize
Page 127: PART I
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