The Phenomenon Of Women's Premature Separation From Service In The World Context

Recently, the British Standards Institution (BSI) released a report titled Eliminating the Second Glass Ceiling, suggesting that there is a worldwide prevalence of women leaving their jobs prematurely. The report, which surveyed 5,074 women over the age of 18 in the workplace from the UK, US, Australia, China and Japan, showed that nearly half of the respondents thought it was difficult to see older women in leadership roles, which is good evidence that the second glass ceiling is real.

What is the Second Glass Ceiling
To discuss the second glass ceiling (SGC), it's important to review the concept of the glass ceiling.

The term "glass ceiling" appeared in the late 1970s and became popular in the 1980s, and it "usually refers to the unseen, unobtainable and impassable obstacles that women encounter as they climb the career ladder, especially to the top of the power hierarchy...". ".

In the 50 years since the discovery of this phenomenon, thanks to the advocacy of the international community and the promotion of governments and social organizations, human society has made some positive progress in eliminating the glass ceiling for women in the workplace, for example, among the chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies, the proportion of women has increased from 0 per cent in 1995 to 10.4 per cent in 2023, which is the first time that the proportion has exceeded 10 per cent. Of course, this doesn't mean that the glass ceiling no longer exists, as the United Nations Development Programme's Gender Social Norms Index report for 2023 shows that women are still underrepresented in leadership worldwide, with "less than one-third of managerial positions in the labor market held by women." The gender wage gap also persists.

The fact that women in the workplace are leaving their jobs faster and earlier than men is a new phenomenon that the international community has discovered based on the fact that the glass ceiling problem has been solved to a certain extent.

This situation, in which "women do not leave the workplace early because of personal preference", is known as the second glass ceiling.

The second glass ceiling is more concerned with women's career longevity and retention than it is with career advancement and promotion.

The report "Eliminating the Second Glass Ceiling" shows that women leave their jobs prematurely, or sooner, in different countries and regions, and that older women in the workplace tend to be more difficult to retain - for example, in the United States, for every female director promoted to the next level, two female directors chose to leave their jobs for a variety of reasons.

The existence of the second glass ceiling can be confirmed side by side by the gender gap in employment rates and full-time employment/part-time employment. For example, data from the OECD and other organizations show that globally only three-fifths of women are in the workforce, compared to three-fourths of men; in the United Kingdom, nearly 90% of men are in full-time employment, compared to fewer than two-thirds of women who are in full-time employment.

Of course, not all women want to continue working in their older years and their wishes should be respected.

Causes of the second glass ceiling
The reasons for women's early departure from the workplace are multiple and complex, and the more prevalent and critical drivers can be summarized in the following six areas:

First, external forces. At all stages of their careers, women encounter external forces that prevent them from remaining in the workplace, such as the maternity leave system in each country and the traditional belief in society that women should take care of their families. In general, the interruption of a woman's career due to maternity leave has a negative impact on her career development, especially promotion, and also affects her salary. Even after the maternity leave is over, women still need to spend a lot of time on childcare. In addition, some countries have different retirement ages based on gender, which makes it more difficult for older women to be retained.

Second, culture and environment. Historically, men have dominated the formation of the labor market, and as a result, systems in the labor market have been based on men's experience, including the five-day work week and the nine-to-five work pattern. This lack of consideration of women's experience creates problems, such as a less inclusive and friendly work environment, prejudice and discrimination against women's leadership skills, and difficulties in accessing more flexible work styles for women who are burdened with caregiving tasks.

Third, gender stereotyping. Despite achievements in gender equality, gender stereotypes persist and women are still seen as less confident, less proactive and less capable of leadership. At the same time, gender occupational segregation persists, with women still confined to traditionally female occupations such as education and health care, which often pay less than so-called male occupations such as finance and IT.

Fourth, behavioral role models. Because of the difficulties women face in getting promoted, there are relatively few successful female role models, and because of the gender bias in the media's publicity efforts, there is often even less publicity for successful women, which can lead to a lack of confidence among young women in their own career development.

Fifth, family responsibilities. While taking care of their children, women also have the responsibility of taking care of other family members, such as the elderly or sick members of the family, and these unpaid jobs are often the reason why women are forced to leave paid work. Against the backdrop of the new crown epidemic, women are required to shoulder heavier family responsibilities, and the female unemployment rate has increased significantly.

Sixth, menopause. As menopause may bring about more than a dozen symptoms such as sleep disorders, irritability and difficulty in concentrating, it has also become a potential factor affecting women's retention in the workforce. Because of menopausal stigma and shame, women are often reluctant to discuss the health issues associated with menopause and the impact it may have on their work with male leaders. Additionally, menopause occurs around the age of 45-55 for women and about 10 years later for men, so the effects of menopause come earlier for women in the workplace.

In addition to the above, the causes of the second glass ceiling include intersectional discrimination on the basis of gender and age, such as the social concept that "women retire when it's time, while men can work for a few more years or continue to do so".

Positive Implications and Strategic Suggestions for Eliminating the Second Glass Ceiling
It is important to note that older women are also an important part of the labor force. If more women stay in the workforce, it will bring positive impacts to the society in many aspects.

First, for the women themselves, staying in the workforce longer will increase their earning potential, and with it their financial security and economic independence.
Secondly, for society and the economy, older women can contribute to economic growth, while women leaving the workforce prematurely can cause economic losses. An Australian forecast shows that a 5 per cent increase in the number of people aged 55 and over in employment could have a positive impact of A$48 billion on the national economy; World Health Organization data show that age discrimination has cost society billions of dollars, and that female workers suffer more from age discrimination than their male counterparts.

Thirdly, for young women, every woman who remains in the workplace has the potential to be a positive role model for other young female colleagues. The report "Eliminating the Second Glass Ceiling" shows that 73% of the women interviewed believe that the presence of more experienced female colleagues will be conducive to the future career development of young women.

It can be said that the second glass ceiling is a new phenomenon and a new problem that has been identified on the basis of the success achieved in eliminating the (first) glass ceiling, and the solution to this problem will have a more positive impact on the future, so it can be said that the elimination of the second glass ceiling is of progressive significance and future-oriented.

Eliminating the second glass ceiling can be achieved by adopting the following strategies: facing up to the fact that the second glass ceiling exists and understanding the importance of eliminating the second glass ceiling; giving a voice to older women, understanding their actual needs, and providing them with effective support, for example, during the menopause, and allowing them to be informed in advance of the specific ways and contents of the support; designing a more flexible working model, while guaranteeing flexibility, and at the same time, ensuring that the work mode is flexible, and that the work mode is flexible. designing more flexible working patterns while ensuring equal opportunities in flexible working; creating a broader culture of caring and an inclusive working environment; and sharing good experiences and utilizing role models of women with more experience in the workplace.