Women benefit when firms downsize
Wed 18 Jun 2008
13/06/2008
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Women often benefit when firms downsize and can even use the change to help their promotion, research has claimed. A US study revealed companies often use the downsizing process as an opportunity to improve their company's gender balance by sacking more men. "It might be that they try to make up for past inequalities", said Prof John Decker, University of Illinois, "or they may be aware of other firms that have had legal difficulties and want to make sure they don't run into the same problems." His research showed women entered management ranks at rates up to 25 per cent higher than men in some grade levels after companies cut staff levels – although this could have a negative effect, he suggested. "With fewer positions available, promoting women more rapidly than men would be more visible and the company may have been concerned about how male managers would react." The UK's gender pay gap narrowed between 2006 and 2007 to its lowest since records began, the Office for National Statistics has reported.
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