Can inclusive design support women in the workplace?

Women's History Month is observed in March, a time to recognize the historical and contemporary contributions of women, including in the business world. In addition to becoming businesses themselves, co-working spaces all around the world assist the operations of small and large businesses.

Women make major contributions to the co-working market as business owners, operators, and users. According to a 2018 American Express research, women-owned companies account for 40% of all firms in the United States. Women established or own nearly one-third of co-working spaces, and they employ more than two-thirds of the workforce.

According to statistics acquired as part of the 2019 Co-working Survey, women accounted for more over half of individuals who used co-working space memberships prior to the epidemic.

Women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Women are still disproportionately affected in the labor force a year after the pandemic began, with women of color suffering the most. According to a study by the National Women's Law Center, women's labor participation has dropped to a level not seen since 1988, a 30-year low, and women still face a job shortage of more than 5 million.

Workplaces have a responsibility to play in assisting women in the post-pandemic era, and they may implement adjustments that benefit all employees.

Women Who Co-work established a month-long effort focusing on fighting gender inequality in co-working in commemoration of International Women's Day and Women's History Month, in collaboration with the Co-working IDEA Project. The challenge, which begins with a self-assessment that every workspace operator can complete, "pays special attention to how gender disparities and relations are relevant for our enterprises," according to the website.

Workplace hygiene products, flexible work rules to support careers, private lactation areas, and safety precautions for accessing and exiting buildings are just a few of the subjects covered in the self-assessment.

Aside from the problems raised in the self-assessment, there are a few other things that workplace operators should think about to make more inclusive and supportive spaces for women:

• Be careful of the temperature: A recent study found that women perform better in warmer areas when completing activities.

• Reduce the amount of glass in your office and rethink the open plan layout: Women may feel uneasy in rooms with floor-to-ceiling glass. Open plan offices, like excessive glass, can add to feelings of self-consciousness. Open layouts, on the other hand, can help employees feel more equal to one another, according to the study.

• Power strips: Chargers and outlets should be placed on top of desks, not under them. Make it simple for employees to plug in without bending down and ducking beneath their desks, or having others do so around them.

• Avoid ‘loud’ flooring: Hard surfaces, such as concrete, can lead someone wearing heels or hard soled shoes to generate a lot of noise when walking across a room, drawing unwanted attention to the wearers and potentially awkward situations.

• Mixing it up:  Once you're able to arrange social events at your workplace again after COVID, keep them diversified. To be courteous of folks with family responsibilities, it is ideal to balance alternatives that are outside of working hours with those that are during working hours. It also helps to balance occasions with and without alcohol options, such as a group breakfast.

Changes in how a business is built and handled, while useful to making the workplace more pleasant for women, can benefit everyone.

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