University of Pennsylvania Report Examines What Makes Companies Good Employers for Women

A new report by scholars at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania digs into the academic research literature on women and work to identify the workplace outcomes that matter most for women. The scholars integrate the findings of hundreds of studies to document the barriers, biases, and limitations that too many women continue to experience at work.

The researchers identify four main factors that identify companies that are good employers for women:

1. Firms where women are well-represented at every level and in every unit of the company.

2. Companies where women are paid fairly and well.

3. A good employer for women supports and protect the health of its employees.

4. Companies where women are happy to work and that provide satisfying workplace conditions for women.

The authors state that few companies today achieve the standards outlined in the report. The effort was designed to inform and inspire business leaders, investors, and employees to work to move the needle on the outcomes that matter most for women. It says to companies: Here’s what it looks like to be a good employer for women.

The full report, Four for Women: A Framework for Evaluating Companies’ Impact on the Women They Employ, may be accessed here.