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Three out of four employees have flexibility and freedom in their jobs, but women still have the least say in the workplace. Women cannot decide to the same degree as men about which jobs they take on, and they have fewer opportunities to plan their assignments and decide how they should do their work. Moreover, many women do not have an opportunity in their work situation to decide when to take breaks.
The first results from the 1996 quality of life survey on working environments show that women still encounter more organizational obstacles in the workplace than men do. Many women in the labour force have few opportunities to make decisions and manage their time. Fewer women are satisfied with the opportunities they have for upgrading their skills and developing their potential compared to men.
In-service training
Three in 10 were dissatisfied with the opportunities they have for continuing education and in-service training at work. Women in particular are dissatisfied. Forty per cent of the women had few opportunities to upgrade their skills, against 34 per cent of men. Over 30 per cent of the women had few opportunities for career advancement, against 26 per cent of men. Women and men received in-house training to the same extent. In 1996 nearly 40 per cent had received formal training through their employer.
Good social environment
Poor interpersonal relations and frustration with bosses and co-workers can be a significant problem in the workplace, but the majority seem to get along well, with over 90 per cent reporting that they are satisfied with the social environment at work. Two per cent said they were harassed at work and five per cent experience violence or are subjected to unwelcome sexual advances. The majority of those who experience sexual harassment are women.
Weekly Bulletin issue no. 8, 1997