‘Unhelpful stereotypes’ main issue holding women back at work, says study

Ah, work.

You either love it, hate it, or think it's pretty much fine until you're drowning in unread emails that management just had to loop you in on despite you having zero desire to be looped in on anything. It's a minefield at the best of times, and yet we can take some mild comfort in the knowledge that all of us are struggling, that nothing is easy, and we're stuck here forever. Sound. For real though, work issues are never ending and unless you're some sort of employment god who can do no wrong in your boss's eyes (ie, a straight white male), you're probably dealing with a fair few problems of your own. These problems may stop you from doing your job. They might hold you back, make you sad, and create obstacles to success that make you not want to get up in the morning. The good news, though, is that most of us women seem to be experiencing the same issues that can often stop us from progressing in the workplace. At least, that's according to a study conducted by Roar Training anyway. Here are the top 10 issues they found people struggle with in work:

1. Unhelpful stereotypes

2. Ambition seen as a bad thing

3. Differing views on satisfaction between genders

4. Unconscious bias

5. Unequal pay structure

6. Working hours

7. Company culture

8. A lack of career progression

9. Minimal training and support

10. Lack of role models

The training business analysed the issues that are holding UK employees back at work and found that a lot of the same problems were cropping up time and time again. Their research also discovered that 74 percent of female employees feel that their workplace culture makes it more challenging to advance their career than men. Almost half (42 percent) of men agreed. The studies also showed that women are far more likely to be referred to as bitchy, emotional and bossy than their male colleagues, while during the interview process, women tend to be judged on their experience whereas men are more likely to be judged on their potential. Great to be a gal, isn't it?

“Our findings are just the highlights reel of the large mass of issues UK employees are experiencing every single day," said Kirsty Hulse, founder of Roar Training.

“We seriously need to invest time and effort into listening to our employees and putting steps in place to address these concerns. Fail to do so and your employees will make their thoughts known through absence or taking their skills elsewhere.

"Men becoming better allies will also be key to changing organisational culture and making women feel more comfortable at work and allow them to thrive.”

Maybe one day, eh?