PIHRA Scope - January/February 2008 - (Page 19) WHO ARE THE GEN-X WOMEN? Born between 1964 and 1979, Generation-X learned that there was no such thing as job security. They witnessed parents downsized and outsized and losing corporate pensions. This generation realized they were “free agents” in selecting the companies they want to work for. Their moms, the Baby Boomer women, went to college in unprecedented numbers. With the equal rights legislation, affi rmative action programs, and NOW (National Organization for Women), Boomer women had high expectations. They believed that they could break through the glass ceiling and soar to new heights. By the 1970s Boomer women were raising children, managing households and running departments. The duality of trying to balance home and business life led to higher stress and escalated divorce rates. In the 1980s, the U.S. divorce rate was at 50 percent, and children of the Boomers (the Gen-Xers) became latch-key children. These children learned about blended families, adjusting to stepparents, and dividing holidays and weekends. Boomer parents instilled a belief that their Gen-X daughters would inherit a world of unlimited workplace opportunities—that due to their mother’s hard work they would enter the workplace as equals, have the ability to climb the corporate ladder, and should therefore dream big. So why are the Gen-X women leaving? The key to keeping Gen-X women on staff, especially as we enter an era of a talent shortage, is for companies to adopt a “We Want to Keep You” attitude. 2. Sexual Harassment: Legislation didn’t make sexual harassment disappear. In fact, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, from 1992 to 2006, the number of sexual harassment lawsuits has increased by 14 percent. Gen-X women are those most affected. 3. Children: Gen-X women are having children later in life. Often, when they return to work from maternity leave, neither their job, their responsibilities, nor their clients were protected from take over by other workers. Also, GenX women want to spend time with their family, and they are finding it difficult to balance career and household. They don’t want to repeat the divorce scenarios they witnessed while growing up and would rather earn less and take a less prestigious job so they can spend time with their family. 4. Earnings: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average woman still earns $.80 to the $1.00 of a man. And in many cases, men with lower education levels and fewer years of experience still earn $10,000 more a year than Gen-X women. 1. Unmet Expectations: Parents and university counselors promised exciting, high-paying, jobs with good grades and a college degree. Gen-X women entered the workforce and didn’t fi nd the excitement, purpose, high-paying jobs, or fulfi llment they expected. This generation is not focused on feeding their egos and gaining corporate status as much as feeling a sense of job satisfaction. Additionally, they believed that the “good old boys club” was dead and that they would enter into a level playing field. They were wrong. As a result, women are leaving the workplace due to discrimination and the inability to get ahead. VANISHING continued on page 20 January/February 2008 PIHRAScope 19
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.