Female business leaders are still hitting the glass ceiling when it comes to seats on boards, according to a new survey.
Canada's female managers and executives are still seeing a divide on a range of factors when it comes to the differences between men and women in the workplace, with salary topping the list.
From salaries and promotions to important decisions and travel, the "glass ceiling" is a very real challenge for today's female business leaders, the Randstad Canada poll of 500 female executives found.
While equal opportunity in the Canadian workplace has progressed substantially over the years, much work still needs to be done when it comes to removing any and all gender issues in the workplace, Hanna Vineberg, vice-president Central Ontario, Randstad Canada said.
The survey results indicate 77% of those polled felt there remained a moderate or large divide between the financial compensation a man receives in a leadership role, compared to what a woman receives in the very same position. On the other side of the spectrum, just 7% believe that women's workplace salary is perfectly equal with their male equivalent, while 16% say they notice a small divide.
"Based on the survey results alone, it is clear there are many divisions seen in the workplace and we still have a long way to go when it comes to salaries, promotions, decision making opportunities, choice assignments and even business travel," Vineberg said. "The persistence of the glass ceiling makes it particularly difficult for organizations to hold on to their best and brightest women. Dismantling the glass ceiling requires an accurate understanding of barriers to advancement that women are facing."
Moving up in the organization also seems to bring about the same divide as salary, with 92% of those women polled feeling there was at least some divide in the opportunities for men and women to be promoted. Nearly three quarters (72%) felt the divide continues to be moderate or very large.
There also remains a wide gap in the perceptions of Canadian women as to who gets the best assignments in their workplaces. Nearly seven in 10 (69%) feel that men are still frequently assigned the best jobs, tasks or projects compared to women in similar roles.
Even when it comes to business travel, there is still a divide between men and women. More than four out of five women (83%) still felt than men are given somewhat more travel opportunities than women, with half of those polled (5%) feeling there remains a very large or moderate divide when it comes to business travel.
