What Women Are Giving Just to Stay Employed
In this special episode of Work It Like a Mum, we’re sharing the third session from our Give to Gain Summit, hosted in support of International Women’s Day.
This honest and thought-provoking panel discussion explores the hidden emotional, professional and financial cost many women pay simply to stay in the workplace.
Hosted by Women’s Wellbeing Coach and author Gifty Enright, alongside four incredible women sharing honest lived experiences. This powerful conversation explores flexibility, burnout, visibility, career progression, caregiving, menopause, remote working and the hidden realities many women are still navigating behind the scenes.
What We Cover:
- The invisible mental load women carry at work and at home
- Why flexibility can still come at a professional cost
- The hidden pressures women absorb to remain “high performing”
- How caregiving responsibilities reshape career decisions
- Why visibility and presenteeism still impact progression
- The emotional and financial cost of remote and flexible work
- Why women over 50 are still being overlooked in the workplace
- The importance of allies, sponsorship and supportive leadership
Key Takeaways:
- Women are still quietly carrying enormous unseen pressure
- Flexibility should not reduce career opportunities or progression
- Output should matter more than presenteeism
- Supportive leadership and workplace culture make a huge difference
- Women often lower their “ask” – not their ambition
- Many women stay in workplaces at a personal cost because they feel they have no alternative
- Organisations need to better recognise the realities women face across different life stages
Why Listen:
If you’ve ever struggled to balance work and life, worried flexibility could impact your progression, or questioned how well workplaces truly support women, this conversation will resonate deeply.
Show Links:
Connect with Elizabeth Willetts on LinkedIn here