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Remote working mothers feel unappreciated

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Remote working mothers feel unappreciated, according to research by the University of Pennsylvania. They feel they have shouldered their family’s responsibilities unevenly. Mothers working remotely may also feel the heavy weight of society’s burden of child care and home schooling. These additional duties were thrust upon them in addition to full time work.

Remote working mothers feel unappreciated

Remote working mothers felt unappreciated due to the addition of added work, home and child care responsibilities. This  happened even in two parent (two gendered) households in the US. They found that gender disparities occurred under two scenarios.

  1.  When men returned back to work after  employer and governmentally mandated stay-at-home, work from home polices were institued.
  2.  When women elected to stay at home to rear children forced to remain at home due to lack of in-person instruction.

As a result of the imbalance of time required for work, educating, supervising their children, and household duties, moms struggled immensely. As the juggle became increasingly difficult many thousands if not hundreds of thousands of women experienced job loss.  Some just decided to stop working altogether.

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Remote working mothers held high hopes

The promise of remote work seemed to be the panacea for which all workers pursued. Women were particularly hopeful that their working male partners, now homebound working remotely would carry some of the childcare and household responsibilities. This proved not to be the case.

The University of Pennsylvania study uncovered these findings:

  1. Both gendered parents (moms and dads) reported an increase in responsibilities related to housework, schooling and childcare.
  2. Mothers working remotely experienced double the likelihood of being the primary parent responsible for household chores.
  3. Mothers working remotely were seven times more likely to take the lead on home schooling tasks.

Many remote workers feel unappreciated

Many remote workers feel unappreciated. As such remote working mothers who feel unappreciated by their employers and/or bosses are not alone. A study appearing in Forbes and conducted by OnePoll concluded that remote workers feel uncredited, under-valued, and overlooked. Approximately one half, or a majority of the respondents felt a lack of gratitude. Why? An employer might ask.

HR executives point to remote work benefits to dispel notions of unappreciation

There are several benefits of working remotely, particularly for working mothers. Human resource professionals point to several remote work benefits to dispel notions of unappreciation. From the perspective of a human resources executive or an HR professional the lack of appreciation felt by remote working mothers and fathers may be unfounded.

  1. Remote workers may shave off up to three hours daily commute time, the reduction in gas expenses and related care maintenance.
  2. Remote workers might save upwards to $1000 to $5000 annually for wardrobe updates and upkeep.
  3. Those who work remotely may be granted two to three hours extra per day for ‘me time’ instead of commuting in heavy traffic.
  4. Workers working from home remotely may experience a drastic reduction in the costs of meals.

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Research found imbalance of chores among remote working parents

Research has found that there is an imbalance of chore distribution among remote working parents. For instance, the University of Pennsylvania study uncovered these findings:

  1. Both gendered parents (moms and dads) reported an increase in responsibilities related to housework, schooling and childcare.
  2. Mothers working remotely experienced double the likelihood of being the primary caregiver and manager of household chores.
  3. Mothers working remotely were seven times more likely to take the lead on home schooling tasks.

Many working remotely feel overwhelmed

While the emphasis is on remote working mother feedback, many working remotely feel overwhelmed.  Almost 2/3rds of the responding remote workers participating in the felt overwhelmed. About 70% of the remote workers, according to the study felt exhausted by the increased work demands. Another 68% felt a lack of motivation because they felt unnoticed and unappreciated. It doesn’t have to be a costly fix to solve the lack of appreciation many remote workers feel. Please see a few recommendations for helping remote workers feel more appreciated, valued and noticed.

Tips for employers to help remote workers feel more appreciated

Here are five tips that employers can use to help remote workers feel more appreciated.

  1. Sending thank you emails to all remote workers for a job well done.
  2. Conclude each video conferencing session with a shoutout to remote workers meeting their work targets and goals.
  3. Schedule in-person staff meetings to recognize remote workers in the presence of their peers for hitting their objectives.
  4. Explain to each remote worker individually how their efforts are appreciated and valued.
  5. Consider sending gift cards and gift baskets as an acknowledgement of remote worker’s ability to adapt well to change.

 

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