The workplace burden women can’t clock out of

International Women’s Day is a time to recognise both the progress made and the challenges that remain for women in the workplace.

Despite steps toward equality, many women still carry an unseen burden that weighs heavily on their mental health.

Globally, women now occupy more leadership positions than ever before, yet disparities remain. According to McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace report, women are still underrepresented in senior roles, often encountering the ‘glass ceiling’.

In Australia, 2024 data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency indicates that while women constitute nearly 50% of the workforce, they hold only 22% of CEO positions.

The gender pay gap remains, though it has narrowed slightly with the median employer gender pay gap recorded at 8.9% as of 2024. The largest disparities are seen in finance, mining and construction.

In comparison, the national gender pay gap in New Zealand is smaller at 8.2%, but the issue remains significant. Pay inequity impacts more than just finances. It affects women’s self-worth, career progression and overall wellbeing.

Beyond statistics, there’s an emotional and psychological cost associated with being a woman in the workforce.

Women often undertake unpaid emotional labour at the office, undertaking tasks outside of their official job description, including organising office events (in a room full of men and women, who gets asked to buy or serve the cake for a colleague’s birthday party?) or even informally handling HR-related issues, without recognition or compensation.

Then there’s the balancing act. Many women, especially mothers, juggle career ambitions with the societal expectation of being the ‘default’ parent. This constant balancing act between professional and caregiver roles can lead to exhaustion, stress and in severe cases, burnout.

In addition, eldest daughters often take on caregiving roles from an early age.  Their families expect them to mediate conflicts, provide emotional support, and shoulder responsibilities that should fall on parents.

This pattern, known as eldest daughter syndrome, creates a lifelong sense of duty and pressure. These expectations extend into adulthood which makes it even harder for them to balance work and personal life, often at the cost of their own mental wellbeing.

Despite progress, workplace culture still carries ingrained biases. Women are often judged more harshly for being assertive, expected to work harder to prove themselves, and still experience workplace microaggressions that undermine confidence.

Even the hybrid work revolution, initially promising work-life balance, has a downside. A 2023 Deloitte survey revealed that while flexible work arrangements can support better work-life balance, many women still report feeling overworked and undervalued, with 53% saying their stress levels are higher than they were a year before.

However, studies also indicate that women working remotely are more likely to be overlooked for promotions compared to their in-office counterparts.

Ignoring mental health can have serious consequences including chronic stress, anxiety and even conditions like severe depression or burnout.

Addressing these challenges requires collective effort, and both people and organisations have a role to play. Here are some key steps that can help:

Women have been carrying the weight of workplace inequality for too long. It’s not enough to acknowledge the problem, we need to act. Real change happens when employers commit to fair policies, colleagues become allies and organisations focus on wellbeing as much as productivity.

Let’s make workplaces places of support, where women are empowered, valued and given the space to succeed without sacrificing their mental health.

Women shouldn’t have to shrink themselves to fit into workplaces that were never designed for them. Their ambition, ideas, contributions and leadership deserve to be recognised, not silenced by burnout, bias or systemic barriers.

At Leora Healthcare, we believe that mental health should never be at the cost of professional success. The Leora mental health platform offers support to help employees manage stress, balance responsibilities and maintain overall wellbeing.

If you’re dealing with these challenges, reach out to us today.