4 Myths About Men And Women In The Workplace

As the workplace is changing, take a look at myths that still exist.

The face of the traditional workplace is changing and with it comes a new breed of employees who are telecommuting, using flex time, working from home or working freelance. As the stereotype of the average employee continues to change, there are still many myths about who these workers are that are alive and well.

Along with the changing needs of businesses and employees alike, the traditional gender roles of men and women are also being challenged. In the face of these changes, employers are having to rise to the challenge and change their ideas about what their employees need.

Here are 4 myths about both male and female employees that just aren't true:

1. Men are more work-oriented and success driven – The old belief was that male employees are more driven to succeed while women put their careers on the back burner and keep their primary focus on family. This may have been true decades ago, but many women are as career driven as their male counterparts. It is becoming more common for women to be the primary breadwinners for their family and more and more men are opting to work part time or be stay at home dads.
   
   
2. Women struggle the most with managing family needs – These days both men and women are struggling to find work-life balance. Most families aren't able to have one parent be responsible for the majority of the family needs. While women tend to be more concerned with dealing with illness and appointments, men are also struggling to attend little league games and parent-teacher conferences.
   
   
3. Single employees are more focused on their careers – This is a myth that never seems to go away. The idea is that employees without family obligations are more dedicated to their careers than those who are married or have families. This couldn't be further from the truth. Even single people struggle to meet their personal commitments. In addition, they don't have obligations that keep them in jobs that aren't rewarding. The major problems that cause employees to lose focus have more to do with not feeling challenged, motivated or rewarded than family obligations.
   
   
4. Management is committed to helping employees meet their family commitments – Just because a company offers flex time or other options to help employees find a good work-life balance doesn't mean that management supports these programs. Often it seems that employees who use these options become stigmatized or begin to be left out of the loop. When companies offer these programs, they need to get the support of management at all levels.

The workplace is changing and so is the role of men and women, both at home and at the office. In order to maintain high performing employees, companies need to take a look at the assumptions they are making about what their employees need. When companies can work with their staff in order to help them find the balance they need in order to do their best work, everyone wins.

What does your company do or not do to help employees with work-life balance? Let me know in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.