COVID-19, the global pandemic, has rendered a huge percentage of the workforce unable to commute to work to prevent the virus from spreading. As a result, both businesses and people are looking for new ways to work. Female employees are frequently disproportionately burdened in the workplace. Workloads, as well as emotional and relational labour, are all part of this.
Even a global survey finds that nearly seven out of 10 women who experienced negative shifts in their routine as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic believe their career progression will slow down.
Women of various racial origins are currently employed. However, this has resulted in increasing duties for women, who are both working professionals and still carrying the majority of the domestic workload. These simultaneous obligations have increased stress, jeopardised physical and mental well-being, and resulted in burnout and decreased productivity at work.
Working from home has increased the work pressure for most women, particularly those who do not have help with housework or child care. Due to the fact that many gated communities in places such as Mumbai do not allow house help to enter, it is up to the woman to take on home tasks as well.
The most significant disadvantage of working from home, according to most women, is that there are no time constraints. 9-5 work are a thing of the past, and even on weekends, one is expected to be on call late into the night. With businesses battling to stay profitable, employees are feeling the effects of uncertainty as well.
Women’s anxiety levels have risen as a result of the underlying worry of getting the illness or losing loved ones to it while keeping at home with little contact with the outside world. Those with caregiving responsibilities also stated that they had taken on additional tasks such as virtual schooling and caring for other dependents, which has harmed them. Women who do not have caring responsibilities are also under stress, which manifests itself in their need to be always “on,” which has a negative impact on their health.
Providing strong support to the women, motivational speaker, Sofia Khan advises women that, despite the shift in lifestyle, work pressure has increased for them because they now have to balance work and personal life. So, it is very necessary for them to adopt some new ways to deal with it in order to reduce stress.
Create a workspace
Even if it’s tempting to work from bed, strive to set up a distinct workplace where you can focus entirely on your work. Even if you’re only using a small portion of your home for business, setting defined work and home boundaries might assist you in mentally transition from home to work. It may also assist you in leaving your work “at the office” at the end of the day.