women returning to work: Busting the myths of flexibility and choice
The TASC Platform and the Innovation Foundation are joining forces to identify opportunities to empower women returning to work.
The Covid-19 pandemic has given rise to a new worldwide phenomenon, known as the ‘Great Resignation’. Millions of employees have left their jobs, are looking for a new job, or plan to do so in the near future following the upheaval of the pandemic – and it has hit the risk radar of employers across the globe.
However, it seems there is a disconnect – even as companies face talent shortages in this space, a significant proportion of women find themselves in sub-optimal working conditions, or unable to re-enter the job market at all. How can we reconcile this challenge – connecting employers with this valuable workforce, and supporting women in reaping the benefits of this ‘Great Reset’?
As part of the Innovation Foundation’s lab process, incubating, and accelerating innovative solutions in the world of work, the Innovation Foundation is working with the TASC Platform to:
Understand the structural challenges faced by women returning to work after the Covid-19 pandemic
Explore myths and realities of flexibility for women in semi-skilled positions and the levels of choice and risk involved in their return to work
Define the existing gaps and explore the direction of solutions that can empower and support semi-skilled women going back to work to inform the Social Innovation Lab work to identify and assess potential organisational and technical solutions employers are/could be using to empower women and incentivize their return to work (with a focus on post-Covid solutions). This collaborative research series explores the challenges faced by women returning to work after the pandemic and asks whether flexibility at work is a universal solution for both employers and workers.
Innovation Foundation
The Innovation Foundation helps underserved populations increase their employability and access to labour markets to secure sustainable livelihoods.That is our mission. We see a future where everyone can access the world of work. That is our vision. Our mission and vision both come to life through the process of the Social Innovation Lab, with which we operate. The first step is to identify the people who are falling out of the workforce and their unmet needs. We then develop solutions to meet those needs, working with experts and end-users. Finally, our prototypes are taken out into the world with the right partners on the ground - helping to make a world where everyone can access sustainable and fulfilling work. As the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company, creating social value is in the DNA of the Adecco Group. We connect people and companies with opportunity and help them find their paths. But we also have a wider responsibility to society – to advocate and act for a better, fairer world of work. We do this through the Innovation Foundation, with the full support of the Group’s leadership.