Women feel “less entitled” than their male colleagues to workplace opportunities and are less likely to ask for a pay rise or promotion, according to new research by LinkedIn.
The study, which surveyed more than 2000 working Australian women, found while these women are “confident, ambitious and proud”, they have been socially conditioned over time to feel less entitled to work opportunities than men.
The research reported nearly seven in 10 women, 68 per cent of those surveyed, agreed there are scenarios in the workplace where women feel less entitled than men. This stat was higher for women in senior positions, with 79 per cent of directors agreeing with the statement.
The survey also found women wait significantly longer than men to ask for a pay rise after feeling that they deserve one, with women on averaging waiting 13 months, and men waiting 10 months.
More than half of the women surveyed said they had never negotiated a pay rise when accepting a new role with an employer, while this was less than a third for men.
The LinkedIn study also found that 70 per cent of women haven’t asked for a pay rise outside of an annual review, with just half of men saying the same.
LinkedIn director Prue Cox said that the extra responsibilities placed on women can impact these aspects of the workplace.
“Women have taken on a lot more responsibilities which have had an impact on their career progression and this can set back efforts made towards workplace gender equality,” Cox said.
“I would encourage them to build confidence in voicing their contributions at work to help drive their career growth. They should look to leverage the women and male allies in their community for support and guidance on career advice.”
Nearly 45 per cent of women surveyed said they had already experienced a point in their career when they felt they had to start lowering career expectations and reassessing progress, with this happening on average when they were 33 years old.
The women surveyed also said they felt there are a number of penalties and downsides associated with flexible working, such as working from home. More than a third said they felt that others saw them as less committed for working flexibly, while 32 per cent felt they were resented by their colleagues or managers and 30 per cent said it meant they didn’t have the right to ask for a pay rise.
Nearly a third of the 2000 women surveyed said that when thinking about their work, they felt they have to take on more of the responsibility of their family and home life compared with their partner.
LinkedIn also released its Opportunity Index, which revealed that nearly half of women feel they get fewer opportunities than their male colleagues, with 44 per cent believing their pay is lower than men.