An early October poll of more than 400 women revealed one in five working less than their previous hours, and one in four earning less than their pre-COVID income, according to Next 100 Years, which works towards equality for women in law.
Nearly one third worked for organisations which had made redundancies as a result of the pandemic―52% suspected some firms were using the pandemic as an excuse for cuts and 55% thought women in law were being disproportionately impacted by cuts and redundancies.
An employment partner who specialises in sex discrimination cases for professional women said she had seen ‘numerous female clients, especially mothers, lose their jobs in the past six months where it’s evident caring responsibilities have been a factor’.
Dana Denis-Smith, founder of Next 100 Years, said the situation had improved since May but women were still feeling the fall-out from that period and remain apprehensive.
