Elder care is a growing concern. Forty-seven percent of working women call elder care very or somewhat important, but only 8 percent have it provided through their jobs. Respect is a word working women use again and again to describe what they want. When we asked working women in an open-ended question to tell us the biggest problem they face, many said respect often in the context of equal pay, opportunity and the time squeeze. Women who are dissatisfied with their jobs are three times as likely as those who are satisfied to mention lack of respect as the biggest problem facing women at work.
Sexual harassment is also related to respect.
Seventy-eight percent say punishment for sexual harassment is very important. But 35 percent say this protection is not currently provided by their employers. Women believe in working together to solve problems in the workplace. A strong majority see a positive role for unions. Women hold these views in spite of messages from the media and from corporate management emphasizing competition and self-reliance.