The world’s top 50 female-friendly companies

Geneva - The covid pandemic has put such a great burden on women that many of them have just left the workforce.

But out of the pandemic comes a sign of hope: female-friendly companies are leading the way in supporting women, according to a survey of more than 85,000 people across 40 countries.

The covid pandemic has taken a heavy toll on women around the globe. That’s nothing new, especially with new research on women looking to leave their jobs. In fact, by January 2021, nearly 3 million women dropped out of the workforce.

The global health crisis also set back the time it will take to close the gender pay gap globally. That time has not increased from 99.5 years to 135.6 years, according to data from the World Economic Forum.

The issues are not new, either: lack of childcare, balancing work and home life, stress and burnout, and low pay, to name a few. Covid amplified this burden so much so that many women simply left the workforce.

However, out of the pandemic comes signs of light and progress. In a study with Statista, Forbes has identified some of the most female-friendly companies leading the way when it comes to supporting women inside and outside the workforce. More than 85,000 women were surveyed across 40 countries.

In this ranking, companies like The Hershey Company, Southwest Airlines, Miele Gruppe, and Skanska ranked highly as female-friendly workplaces. Read the full list here.

Meanwhile, the work-from-home revolution hasn’t benefited everyone. Older workers were staying in the labour market for longer until the pandemic hit.

A strong labour market depends on a workforce that possesses current, relevant skills and knowledge. Here’s one way to close the skills gap in a sustainable manner.

The 2020 and 2021 lockdowns around the world were hard on workers. Some lost their jobs. Others work with lower salaries to survive.

Some analysts worry that the pandemic will usher in a harsher era where workers struggle to find jobs – or, where AI takes over jobs. But there’s no reason to be pessimistic, the Economist argues.

Now, more than ever, workers have more bargaining power than they have had for years.

Yhree factors show that the world of work will continue to outperform expectations: work-from-home trends, automation, and public policy. Read more here.