RETENTION:
Keeping Women on the Job

Retaining employees and minimizing turnover are important goals for any organization. Because of the significant costs of recruiting and training skilled workers and the possible downtime related to staff turnover, strategies to reduce this expense are well worth the investment.

Many issues that women face in nontraditional employment affect their retention on the job.

A study done by Trades Mentor Network in Seattle found that women, more than any other group, listed lack of support as a reason for leaving a job or trade. In another study, Chicago Women in Trades reported that 26 percent of the women responding said they left the trade because they could not find steady work and 44 percent reported that they encountered unfair layoff practices. Over a third of the women heard remarks accusing them of being lesbian, whether or not they were actually lesbian, and almost half heard remarks about their race or ethnicity.

Is it possible to cultivate an environment that is supportive of women in male-dominated occupations?

Women have survived and prospered into many nontraditional jobs. Integrating women in a male-dominated workplace requires men and women to relearn how to interact with one another in the workplace. This process can enhance organizational effectiveness and is healthy for men and women because it enables them to develop respect for individual differences.

Key Elements for Retaining Women on the Job:

• Ensure your company or union has strong policy statements that prohibit unlawful discrimination and support women in nontraditional jobs.
• Address key issues that commonly affect women, such as job assignment and promotion, family care and transportation, and health and safety concerns.
• Promote the development of support mechanisms for women on the job, such as placing more than one woman on a worksite, encouraging support groups, and pairing women with an "old pro" or mentor.
• Ensure that there are proper facilities and equipment for women on the job.
• Monitor the progress of your union or company in preparing the workplace for women on an ongoing basis through nontraditional task forces and by conducting exit interviews.

Next Steps for Retention:

• Assess your current retention strategies in the Issue Self-Assessment Quiz.
• Request help to implement retention strategies identified in the Issue Self-Assessment Quiz.
• Ask additional questions about retaining women in Ask A Question
• Search our Resource Database for People and Documents that can help you retain women in nontraditional occupations and apprenticeships.
• Share your experience in retaining female workers in nontraditional jobs with other employers and unions by posting news to the Workplace Discussion Forum.

Additional Issue Overviews:

• Recruitment
• Orientation and Assignment
• Training
• Sexual Harassment Prevention