Where are the best places for women to work? Mainly in tech

Tech companies including IBM are among the best places for women and people of colour in the US to work in, a survey found. — AFP

Six of the 10 best companies for women to work at in the US right now are in the technology sector, a new survey shows.

IBM Corp was listed as the top large company for women to work at this year, according to Comparably, a platform where workers review employers. Comparably compiled its list from ratings made by female users between November 2020 and November 2021.

The next highest-ranking tech company was Adobe Inc in third place; HubSpot, Inc in fourth; Medallia Inc in fifth; Microsoft Corp in ninth; and The Knot Worldwide Inc in 10th.

RingCentral Inc topped a separate list by Comparably that ranked companies with diversity in mind. Adobe and IBM rounded out the top three.

Workers of all backgrounds and identities have faced numerous hurdles while working during the pandemic, and a brunt of those complications are falling on women. School closures and difficulty finding childcare have contributed to the strain on working mothers, and women of all races and ethnicities have not reentered the workforce at the same rates as other groups.

The numbers are starkest for Black and Latinx women, who tend to work in health care, hospitality and education – and often in jobs where remote work is difficult or impossible.

For companies, the pressure is on to keep existing workers happy and appeal to prospective ones. Workers are quitting their jobs at increased rates across the US in a phenomenon known as the “Great Resignation”. Job openings in the US jumped in October to the second-highest on record.

Some in the technology industry are taking action. Salesforce.com Inc was among the companies that amended and extended its work-from-home policies, and a cohort of 190 companies including Spotify Technology SA and Pinterest Inc have lobbied Congress to pass paid family and medical leave policies.

While tech companies often tout their commitment to diversity and inclusion, some say they still have a long way to go. – Bloomberg