According to a recent McKinsey report, 9 in 10 women are more susceptible to job loss due to the pandemic. This is much higher than the percentage that exists for men.
It is an undisputable fact that most organisations were compelled to right sizing their workforce during the pandemic. However, Vani Sengupta, Director Human Resource, The Westin Chennai Velachery says with confidence that the hospitality segment adhered to the last in-first out formula while rearranging its staff strength during the pandemic. While some positions were dissolved in a few instances, she noted that this was not done to target women in particular.
She did admit that like every other industry, the hospitality segment is also plagued with gender bias. “It is definitely prevalent in the industry, especially in operational areas, where one would have to stretch a bit to cover late evenings. However, I believe it is also dependent on the female associate who chooses to forgo the promotion as she chooses to balance both work and home,” she stated.
TESTING TIMES
According to the LinkedIn Opportunity Index 2021 report 85% women do not get promotions due to gender biasness as compared to men. Sengupta pointed out that unfortunately, a women professional often enters the next phase of her personal life, be it marriage, child-rearing or caretaking of family members, while they are at the prime of their career. “Hence, they might opt to pass up a promotion that may be more demanding of their time to better balance the additional responsibilities in the new role,” she reasoned.
That does not mean that women hospitality professionals get fewer opportunities than men. She opined that more avenues have opened up for them in recent times, which would have been even higher had the pandemic not struck.
Moreover, 37% of the women surveyed in the Linkedin Opportunity Index 2021 said that they are paid less than men, while only 21% of the men shared this sentiment. Sengupta said that disparity of wages between genders does not necessarily exist in the contemporary corporate world, though it might be evident in more blue-collared jobs. In fact, hotel brands sometimes pay their women employees more, given that they are a scarce lot.
“It is just that woman lose out on the chances of progressing faster in their careers post-marriage, as most of them are reluctant to relocate. Seldom do we see a man willing to sacrifice his job and move when his wife gets a better break in another city,” she pointed out.
Moreover, women professionals have to tackle with deep-rooted misconceptions that certain jobs can only be performed by men. Of course, hotel companies can devise practicable strategies to overcome these challenges.
Sengupta lauds the effort by The Indian Hotels Company Limited, which has taken a giant step in this direction. The upcoming Taj Wellington Mews, Chennai will be managed by an all-women team. “This is a welcome change to break all perceptional barriers about the kind of tasks women can perform,” she emphasised.
A drastic change in mindset is the need of the hour. Developing a culture where diversity and inclusion are given prime importance can go a long way in helping women claim their well-earned space in the corporate ecosystem.
