So often, as I’m writing a story, I wish I had many more words to do the topic justice. Such was the case as I was writing this month’s New North feature looking at child care needs within the region. Serendipity connected me to Kimberly Kane, president and CEO of Milwaukee-based Kane Communications Group.
Last summer, clients began approaching Kane looking for ways to re-engage their workers amidst the Great Resignation. Kane wanted to help clients with messaging, but she also wanted to gather data about how the pandemic was affecting women, and that led the group to pursue creating the “State of Working Women in Wisconsin” report.
One of the report’s findings stood out to me: 50% of Wisconsin’s working women consider quitting work constantly, often or sometimes, and this is 25% higher than the national average. Kane says the stress women have experienced throughout the pandemic is accumulating. In addition, pay disparities have become more pronounced and issues such as lack of affordable, quality child care and flexibility are leading to burnout.
“Women are extremely resilient, but the pandemic tested our resilience and tested our abilities,” Kane says. “The pandemic brought so many worlds together at once, and women finally said, I need a change.”
Of course, solving massive issues like access to child care will take multiple large-scale efforts, but Kane says employers can take steps to address that challenge and others that women and families face. For example, businesses could look at coming together to create low-cost, high-quality child care offerings for their employees. They also could look at government partnerships, as other countries have done, she says.
Progress may come from smaller-scale efforts as well. Women in Kane’s survey said open communication with employers is important. Managers can start by meeting employees where they are and asking how they’re doing. Employers also can offer school-day schedules and try to refrain from scheduling early meetings that are difficult for parents to accommodate.
Kane says the time is now for employers to begin assessing and addressing barriers for parents. The economy depends on having women in the workforce, she says, and the best and most economical talent strategy is retaining existing employees.
“I think we have the opportunity as a state to raise the bar,” she says. “We need to get information into leadership levels to think about the importance of creating an equitable work environment.”
To read the “State of Working Women in Wisconsin” report, visit kanecommgroup.com/kane-insights.
