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This study investigates the impact of a pay transparency intervention in reducing the gender pay gap in the UK university sector. Introduced in 2007, the initiative enabled public access to average annual earnings disaggregated by gender in UK universities. We use a detailed matched employee‐employer administrative dataset that follows individuals over time, allowing us to adopt a quasi‐experimental approach based on event studies around the intervention. We find that the earnings of female academics increased by around 0.62 percentage points compared to their male counterparts as the control group, whose earnings remained constant after the pay transparency intervention, reducing the gender pay gap by 4.37 per cent. Further evidence suggests that the main mechanism for the fall in the pay gap is driven by female employees negotiating higher wages, particularly among senior female academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Servicewomen are at increased risk of common mental disorders compared with servicemen and their female civilian counterparts. The prevalence of eating disorder risk and common mental disorders, and associated risk factors in British servicewomen are poorly understood. Methods: All women younger than 45 yr in the UK Armed Forces were invited to complete a survey about demographics, exercise behaviors, eating behaviors, and common mental disorders. Results: A total of 3022 women participated; 13% of participants were at high risk of an eating disorder based on Brief Eating Disorder in Athletes Questionnaire and Female Athlete Screening Tool scores. Twenty-five percent of participants had symptoms of anxiety (seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment score ≥10), and 26% had symptoms of depression (nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire score ≥10). Older age was associated with a lower risk, and heavier body mass was associated with a higher risk, of eating disorders (P ≤ 0.043). Older age and higher rank were associated with a lower risk of symptoms of anxiety and depression (P ≤ 0.031), and a heavier body mass was associated with a higher risk of symptoms of depression (P ≤ 0.012). Longer habitual sleep duration was associated with a lower risk of eating disorders and symptoms of anxiety and depression (P ≤ 0.028). A higher volume of field exercise was associated with a lower risk, and a higher volume of military physical training and personal physical training was associated with a higher risk, of eating disorders (P ≤ 0.024). Job role and deployment history were not associated with any outcome. Conclusions: Sleeping and training habits provide potential novel targets for exploring how common mental disorders can be managed in British servicewomen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the study was to explore and understand the organizational culture of a workplace in terms of support and well‐being for staff experiencing perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms at work. Design: It is widely acknowledged that perimenopause and menopause symptoms are experienced by a large percentage of the female workforce. There is a lack of research into how nurses are supported through menopause (Cronin et al. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 42, 2021, 541–548). The perimenopause and menopause transition can be a challenging time where many may require symptom management and support (RCN, The Menopause and Work: Guidance for RCN Representatives, 2020). This paper presents a case study research (CSR) approach to examine one healthcare organization. Methods: CSR design was used: A survey distributed to all staff employed, a review of the available documentation on menopause and interviews with managers from different levels of the organization. The COREQ consolidated criteria was used for reporting the qualitative research reported this study. Results: The case study generated both quantitative and qualitative data using surveys, interviews and documentation. Data from the organization (n = 6905) showed a majority female workforce of 81.9% with 40.6% aged between 41 and 55 years old, meaning a third of the organization working through perimenopause and menopause. Survey responses (n = 167) collected biographical and psychometric data on the prevalence of perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms. Seven managers were interviewed highlighting two themes: Access to support and culture of menopause and 13 documents from the organization on menopause were analysed for content. The study design permitted an iterative approach to data collection and providing an in‐depth understanding of the needs and support for those experiencing perimenopause and menopause. The findings help healthcare organizations to understand their workforce and take in to account the larger numbers of female employees particularly nurses with the need to provide person‐centred support mechanisms and an organizational approach for all employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate associations between menstrual function, eating disorders, and risk of low energy availability with musculoskeletal injuries in British servicewomen. Methods: All women younger than 45 yr in the UK Armed Forces were invited to complete a survey about menstrual function, eating behaviors, exercise behaviors, and injury history. Results: A total of 3022 women participated; 2% had a bone stress injury in the last 12 months, 20% had ever had a bone stress injury, 40% had a time-loss musculoskeletal injury in the last 12 months, and 11% were medically downgraded for a musculoskeletal injury. Menstrual disturbances (oligomenorrhea/amenorrhea, history of amenorrhea, and delayed menarche) were not associated with injury. Women at high risk of disordered eating (Female Athlete Screening Tool score >94) were at higher risk of history of a bone stress injury (odds ratio (OR; 95% confidence interval (CI)), 2.29 (1.67–3.14); P < 0.001) and time-loss injury in the last 12 months (OR (95% CI), 1.56 (1.21–2.03); P < 0.001) than women at low risk of disordered eating. Women at high risk of low energy availability (Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire score ≥8) were at higher risk of bone stress injury in the last 12 months (OR (95% CI), 3.62 (2.07–6.49); P < 0.001), history of a bone stress injury (OR (95% CI), 2.08 (1.66–2.59); P < 0.001), a time-loss injury in the last 12 months (OR (95% CI), 9.69 (7.90–11.9); P < 0.001), and being medically downgraded with an injury (OR (95% CI), 3.78 (2.84–5.04); P < 0.001) than women at low risk of low energy availability. Conclusions: Eating disorders and risk of low energy availability provide targets for protecting against musculoskeletal injuries in servicewomen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how UK women encounter religious dress and behavior codes in religious work contexts. It compares two very different case studies: women working at faith-based organizations in the UK and women working for secular organizations who travel for work to Saudi Arabia. Using 65 semi-structured interviews, participant wardrobe photographs, and observation in regional modest fashion retail, the article analyzes women workers' experience in religious contexts as a form of aesthetic labor. It investigates the gendered and religious components which structure women's different responses to workplace modesty codes. Detailing the additional aesthetic and emotional labor demanded of women in crafting modest professional appearances in religious contexts, the research reveals continuities in how workplace modesty requirements impact on women's occupational performance and sense of self. The conclusion argues that religion-related workplace modesty codes constitute a religiously-inflected form of organizational aesthetics that may operate simultaneously with, but be experienced differently from, secular-driven organizational aesthetics. We find that religious dress codes are arbitrated by the avoidance of shame, an affect accompanying the government of modesty for all involved. We find that organizations benefit from, but do not recognize or recompense, the additional aesthetic labor that modesty demands of women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses prospective data spanning 27 years (1991–2018) to explore the relationship between economic precariousness and transitions to first co-residential partnership among Britons aged 18–34 across three dimensions: age, historical time, and sex. Economic precariousness is measured using eight objective and subjective indicators, including income, employment, housing, and financial perceptions. Our results show that economic precariousness has a strong negative relationship with entering the first co-residential partnership among those aged 20–30, but the pattern is less clear among the youngest and oldest. Objective measures are easier to interpret than subjective measures. Historical analyses suggest that not being employed decreases the probability of union formation more in recessionary periods than in non-recessionary ones. Among working women, low labour income started to be a predictor of union formation in the most recent periods. Labour income is the only indicator presenting trends in line with our hypotheses across all dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper explores the workplace experiences of aesthetic labour among racially diverse frontline women workers in a fashion retail store. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative study is based on an ethnographic study, drawing on findings from participant observation and interviews with frontline workers at a fashion retail store in the UK. Findings: This paper explores how the embodiments of aesthetic labour are perpetually produced and commodified through the discipline of management in a fashion retail store. It challenges the notion of phenotypical Whiteness as the beauty standard within fashion retail and demonstrates how embodiments differ according to race. While White women are continuously scrutinised by their appearance, the aesthetic demands for women of colour tend to focus on speech and racialised bodies to provide "authentically" exotic experiences for customers. Additionally, this study highlights how the mobilisation of aesthetic labour can create work humiliation and work alienation. Research limitations/implications: Despite this study being based on an ethnographic study at one British fashion retailer, this paper seeks to give voices to an underrepresented group by exploring the lived experiences of racially diverse women workers. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the intersection between aesthetic labour and race from an embodiment perspective, exploring the workplace experiences of racially diverse women workers in fashion retail and how their various forms of embodiment are racialised and commodified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surveying profession in the UK construction industry continues to be blighted by a skills shortage, and this continues to constrict growth. Therefore, it is suggested that this should make it easier for women and other underrepresented groups to be employed in the construction industry. While this is the case, barriers to entry have been well researched. This study aimed to identify what methods have been previously successful at increasing female engagement within the surveying profession in the UK. This study followed a mixed-method, complementary approach, combining quantitative and qualitative questions in an online questionnaire, which was distributed via social media (LinkedIn) and the researchers' contacts, and achieved 44 responses over a period of six weeks. The target population was female UK residents employed in surveying roles. Quantitative data on both awareness and opinion of the methods used during previous initiatives to engage women with surveying underwent reliability analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, and a Spearman's rank order correlation to assess the relationship between time in industry and opinion on the efficacy of the methods used in each initiative; however, no statistically significant relationship was found. To better understand the opinions of women already in the industry, the qualitative data underwent thematic analysis via inductive coding, the results of which then underwent descriptive statistical analysis. The study found a broad lack of awareness of previous initiatives, with most respondents having little or no awareness of the five initiatives examined. However, evidence suggested there was general support for the methods used in those initiatives, such as intervention at school age, increasing the visibility of women in surveying roles, and changes to workplace culture. There was no statistically significant link between time in industry and opinion on the efficacy of each initiative. Key themes included concerns regarding the implementation of current initiatives, and enthusiasm for intervention at school age as the best method to engage more women with the surveying profession. The findings have implications for both practice and future research. First, professional institutions, such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, should be aware of the limitations of the initiatives they put in place to encourage women into their profession. Second, the results have an impact on other professions. However, a cross-comparative study that examines initiatives by other professional institutions would be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines eleven personifications of cinema from the UK during the period 1912–1929, personifications that unanimously 'sexed' the medium female. It demonstrates that femaleness was not an inevitable characteristic of personifications of this particular medium and so explores why these female personifications came about when they did, showing that they both a) unconsciously symptomatized several distinguishing features of the medium during the period (including its potential to function aesthetically, its emergent mediativity, its sensationalist content, the unusual availability of both the space of the cinema auditorium and film work to women, its affinities with various elements of modernity that were already coded female and its own challenges to forms of tradition that were coded male) and b) (in most cases) were deliberately fashioned to classify the new medium as having a particular affinity with women, in an effort to improve its public image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job insecurity is a widespread workplace stressor that has been extensively investigated using quantitative approaches. With the use of a critical organisational psychology framework, we conducted a meta‐synthesis of 20 qualitative studies to investigate the experience of job insecurity among vulnerable employee groups (i.e., women and immigrants). The qualitative meta‐synthesis results suggest that there are meaningful differences. Specifically, whereas women were more concerned with and exposed to deteriorating working conditions, men experienced job insecurity as a threat to their identity. Among immigrants, the experience of job insecurity is viewed as largely intersecting with the legal system, impacting their ability to remain in their country and making them feel powerless. Thematic evidence also emerged regarding individual actions that participants use to attain security in contrast to corporate strategies that enhance job insecurity. We contribute to the critical organisational psychology literature by discussing how these results test common academic theories and neoliberal assumptions pervasive within the job insecurity literature: We highlight how organisations manufacture job insecurity, question the existence of harmonious social exchanges, discuss the use of job insecurity as a form of worker control, consider the role of the legal context in aiding worker exploitation and argue for an intersectional view of job insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes how motherhood and labor market status interact in their relationship to women's affective well-being using Day Reconstruction Method data from the United Kingdom Time Use Survey 2014–2015. The dataset contains information on how much time respondents spent on their various daily activities as well as how much they enjoyed each episode. This information is aggregated into a measure of an individual's affective well-being on a given day by calculating the mean of the reported enjoyments weighted by the duration of the respective episode. Results indicate a positive and significant correlation between motherhood and affective well-being. However, this relationship decreases in magnitude and even becomes insignificant in some specifications when controlling for labor market status. This could indicate that an increase in the likelihood of being in a labor market status associated with higher affective well-being mediates the positive relationship between motherhood and affective well-being. Women working part-time, self-employed women, homemakers and women on maternity leave are shown to have higher affective well-being than full-time employees. Furthermore, the time spent on and enjoyment experienced in employment related activities appears to be a key driver of many results in this study. Contrasting results in specifications using a measure of life satisfaction highlight the importance of considering affective as well as cognitive well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Interdisciplinary Studies of Literature is the property of Interdisciplinary Studies of Literature Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses research on the influence of targeted propaganda and women's roles in World War II. The study examined the mobilisation of civilian women across Great Britain and the Soviet Union during the war through propaganda focused on domestic economic self-sufficiency and labor engagement to increase munitions and agricultural output, the dispersal of the Soviet Amazon Myth to build morale and patriotism in female workers, and the obstruction of female workforce in Germany.

This article examines to what extent multiple facets of pre-childbirth job satisfaction affect women's labor market outcomes after first childbirth in the UK. Using the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) we find that higher levels of overall job satisfaction increase the probability of returning to work sooner, and to the same job, during the sample period. Satisfaction with job security, work hours and the work content - but not with pay – are important determinants of mothers' employment choices. We discuss the role of job satisfaction on women's ability to combine work and family responsibilities, and related aspects of job quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contributing to scholarship on diversity and inclusion (D&I) and careers within UK retailing, this paper documents the lived experiences of minority‐ethnic women working in retail. Given the extensive research on both the career obstacles faced by women in a highly feminized sector and the disadvantages experienced by minority‐ethnic workers in the UK labor market more broadly, consideration of social identity categories beyond gender and their impact on retailing careers in the existing literature is limited. Here we use intersectionality theory to explain how individual‐level identity categories, such as gender, ethnicity and religion, intersect with wider organisational practices, which disadvantage the career progression of minority‐ethnic women in UK retail. In a service‐driven sector dependent upon consumers, we conclude that there is a need to consider intersectional identity experiences and power relations within the customer‐employee relationship, as this disproportionately affects minority‐ethnic women and the realization of their career goals in retail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Investigaciones Feministas is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

An online survey (N = 2063) of women working either as police officers or non-sworn/warranted police staff addressed personal well-being and work-related factors during the first COVID lockdown in the United Kingdom from March to August 2020. Overall, 59% of all respondents reported being more stressed during the lockdown than they had been previously. A key factor in stress levels was the respondents' organisational support measured by a computed index of trust, communication, and support (TCS). Those respondents having a positive orientation towards TCS were less stressed than those whose orientation was more negative. Findings differentiated the experience of respondents typed as front-line police officers, front-line police staff, police officers serving in support functions and police staff in support functions. Innovative COVID-19 working arrangements are highlighted as beneficial new practices worth retaining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where female representatives are located within legislatures and what they do matters for the substantive representation of women. Previous scholarship has found that female parliamentary committee members participate differently than their male counterparts in relation to both policy area and status of positions held. Here, we draw on an original time-series data set (n = 9,767) to analyze the U.K. select committee system. We test for the impact of four variables previously found to be important in explaining changes in gendered divisions of labor: the system of appointment/election, the proportion of female representatives in the legislature, sharp increases in the number of female representatives, and changes in government from right-wing parties to left-wing parties. We find that horizontal and vertical divisions of labor persist over time and that membership patterns in the United Kingdom mainly correspond to those found elsewhere. Moreover, there is little evidence that any of the four variables have systematically affected membership patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The papers in this special issue make an important contribution to a growing body of work, exploring not only the ways gender and property were co‐constituted in Britain and the British colonies in the long eighteenth century but also the sources scholars must work with in uncovering women's lives and experiences. In this afterword, I explore some of the possibilities and prospects for developing research in this area, highlighting new directions and themes, as well as teasing out some of the wider implications of this persuasive and fascinating collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seafaring, as a traditionally male-dominated industry, continues to have very few female seafarers, with approximately 2% globally being women. This paper draws on the findings of a study that considered both the experiences of women seafarers working in the UK shipping industry and the views of key industry stakeholder representatives, and asks what must be done to improve those experiences? Responses across the industry suggest that all women seafarers will experience some form of harassment during their careers, which has significant implications for their occupational health, safety and wellbeing. These experiences reflect failures of leadership in developing and promoting a safe and inclusive onboard culture. This paper calls for fundamental change within the industry, including improvements in training and leadership to reflect modern seafaring and diversity on board. It also calls for relevant policy and strategic changes to be based on the views of seafarers and their representatives. It concludes that improving the experiences of women on board will improve the occupational health, safety and wellbeing of all seafarers, regardless of gender or any other characteristic or classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite research, workplace policies, and advances in social thinking, women continue to struggle with balancing the pull between the personal and professional life. This article builds on the understanding of how women interact with their work role. This case study explores the working lives of a small group of women and men in the UK fitness industry to uncover how they negotiate the balance between social, personal, and industry expectations regarding what their work should look like. The study frames these experiences around the 'work', 'career', and 'job' orientation. The study discovers that the men had a clear and articulate 'career' orientation, while the women varied between 'career', 'job', and 'calling'. To explain the differences between the women and men workers, it is suggested that social reference group feedback created tension for each of the women within their own work orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The line between hypervisibility and invisibility appears to be blurred for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) women in the workplace due to their race and gendered status (Lander and Santoro 2017). The intersection of race and gender exposes many BAME women to discrimination, structural inequalities, and the dynamics of tokenism, which can be a cause of intense job dissatisfaction (Stroshine and Brandl 2011). It is often the case that discussions on the economic integration of immigrants focus mainly on how the socio-economic dynamics of the host country can limit them to certain labour market sectors. While this is a key area that must be discussed, "the interaction between the internal cultural and social differences and the wider structural and ideological processes of the country of residence" must also be interrogated (Anthias 1992: viii). Such deep exploration contributes to the examination of migrant women's experiences of the intersection of gender, identity, and social mobility within the labour market and their personal lives. In this paper, based on individual accounts and drawing on intersectionality as an analytical framework (Crenshaw 1989; Bowleg 2012; Collins and Bilge 2020), I examine the multiple and complex interlocking structural inequalities suffered by immigrant women. This paper also presents how personal narratives can illuminate often hidden complexities in the workplace and labour market at large. Based on three main themes, deskilling and downward mobility, settling for BBC2 jobs, and confronting discrimination in skilled employment, I examine the different ways migrant women engage with their stories about negotiating the labour market, which lay bare some of the limits and gaps between policies and practices in the post-industrial labour market. I present how the different ways they engage with narratives of their experiences in the workplace is very telling of the far-reaching impact their experiences have on their self-identity and well-being. As a feminist researcher, and one whose life is also marked by migration experiences, I go beyond examining the process of deskilling to exploring how participants make sense of their experiences, the impact on their lives, and their present sense of identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite progress in engineering careers, gendered underrepresentation remains. Research on gender disparity suggests that women engineers have varied experiences both prior to and within their engineering careers, influencing their perceptions and persistence. The bulk of prior research has focused on women who lose interest prior to entering engineering fields. Yet, there is much to be learned from research on women who persisted; meaning they are currently working in the field as an engineer. This study recruited 46 women engineers from engineering firms and academic departments in the US and UK to participate in a survey querying sources of their engineering capital and habitus (per Bourdieu) and perceptions of engineering as a field. Participants reported academic resources (courses, internships, professors) and family as important. Women held positive perceptions of engineers and engineering, citing their use of non-cognitive skills (e.g., creativity, critical thinking) and improved social outcomes (e.g., betterment, impact) from engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions data for the year 2009, the authors evaluate how vertical and horizontal job segregation explains the differential between full-time and part-time pay for prime-age women in four European countries: Austria, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom. The selected countries are representative of different welfare state regimes, labor market regulations, and extents and forms of part-time employment. Full-time hourly wages exceed part-time hourly wages, especially in market-oriented economies, such as Poland and the United Kingdom. Results using the Neuman-Oaxaca decomposition methods show that most of the full-time—part-time wage gap is driven by job segregation, especially its vertical dimension. Vertical segregation explains an especially large part of the pay gap in Poland and the United Kingdom, where, more than elsewhere, part-timers are concentrated in low-skilled occupations and the wage disparities across occupations are quite large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining feminist political economy and life-course perspectives, this mixed-methods study critically examines the extent to which extended working life policies take account of women's experiences of paid and unpaid work. I explore how decisions to extend working life are shaped by gendered social structures and norms across the life course among women in the Newcastle Thousand Families Study, a UK early baby-boom birth cohort. Among this cohort of women currently transitioning into retirement, analysis of longitudinal survey data identifies a range of mid- and later-life factors that impact on the likelihood of women working beyond state-pension age. In-depth life-course interviews identify further complex and interacting gendered life-course experiences, not captured in the survey data, which act to necessitate, encourage, enable or constrain extended working. I conclude that, if women are to extend their working lives, 'joined-up' policies are required, addressing gendered inequalities across the life course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polish migration to the UK post European Union enlargement has been studied extensively but limited attention has been paid to women and their gendered mobility. In this paper, I argue that it is key to turn attention to women migrants as those who are often responsible for reproductive labour and who raise future generations of workers and citizens. This is pivotal to consider in light of ageing European societies and the need for workers and Brexit. Arguably, precarity is characteristic of contemporary life. This applies to the post-Brexit-vote UK and the uncertainty linked to the future after 2019. Precarity is inevitably characteristic of many migrants' lives often punctuated by a lack of job security which is linked to limited material and psychological well-being. For women migrants, this state of affairs is further compounded by their attachment to the private sphere which often constitutes a barrier to their engagement in the paid labour market on the same footing as men. This paper draws on qualitative primary data gathered from 32 Polish women migrants who were initially interviewed in 2012/2013 and subsequently some of them were re-interviewed in 2016/2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women show greater and greater activity on the job market, they obtain better positions, salaries, etc. However, the statistics concerning their professional activity differ from those of men. We should take into consideration the fact that women are the ones who give birth to children and, in majority, take care of their upbringing, especially in the first years of child's life. Policies of particular states are different in terms of the amount and availability of family benefits, and that can be reflected in women's willingness to return to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feminist praxis has always been about both the individual and the collective; one of the revolutionary and utopian promises of feminism is that of being, bringing, and working together. This piece provides a brief account of some of the significant scholarship and collective activities within British feminist geography over the last twenty five years, with a particular focus on the work of the Women and Geography Study Group/Gender and Feminist Geographies Research Group. We underscore the importance of intersectional approaches to scholarship and praxis in UK feminist geographies in this period, and in going forward, as well as signalling some of the dialectical opportunities and tensions arising from this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking into account variations in family structure among working mothers, this study examines the effect of family‐support policies on the well‐being of 4,247 female employees in Britain who have never married, are married, or are divorced, separated, or widowed. Based on data from the British Workplace Employment Relations Survey of 2011, the study found that not all family‐friendly policies were equally effective in alleviating anxiety and depression or in fostering job satisfaction among working mothers. Although having the option to work the same number of hours across fewer days per week was shown to be beneficial to the well‐being of never‐married mothers, flextime was beneficial to divorced, separated, or widowed mothers. Having the chance to reduce work hours, work from home, or work only during the school term was most beneficial to the well‐being of married mothers. These findings bolster arguments that the availability of family‐support policies in the workplace enhances the effectiveness of working mothers in both their work and family roles, thereby positively affecting their overall well‐being. They also highlight the role that individuals' family structures may play in the use of those initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current understandings of worker mobilisation against factory closure and capital migration in Britain are dominated by the perspectives of male industrial workers. The narratives of displaced miners, shipbuilders and steel workers are prominent in the historiography and collective memories of deindustrialisation. There is considerably less understanding of the response of female manufacturing workers to these processes and the ways in which women mobilised in opposition to the free movement of capital. This article presents the testimony of Margaret Robertson, shop steward at the Lee Jeans factory in Greenock, Scotland, where the predominantly female workforce conducted a successful seven-month occupation in opposition to proposed closure beginning in February 1981. The contribution highlights the specific gendered challenges encountered by women workers. The occupation occurred in a period of accelerated factory closure in Britain, yet supporting female unionists resisting job loss was not a priority for the male-dominated union executive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there has been a steady growth of women working in geography in UK universities since the mid-Twentieth Century, there are continuing challenges in gendered career progression and professional interactions within the contemporary discipline. These range from problems associated with employment precarity and inflexible work practices, life choices and obligations in the domestic arena, discrimination and bullying, to less tangible gendered norms and cultures in the workplace. This paper discusses these challenges and inequalities in the light of a brief overview of sector-wide statistical data on appointments by gender and career-stage and with the analysis of some 250 in-depth responses to a nationwide qualitative survey of gender and career experience in UK universities (Maddrell, Avril, Kendra Strauss, Nicola J Thomas, and Stephanie Wyse. 2016. "Mind the Gap: Gender Disparities Still to Be Addressed in UK Higher Education Geography." Area 48 (10): 48-56). While the term 'glass ceiling' still has significant relevance, findings show a more complicated picture which also includes 'stone floors' and stumbling blocks. It also shows how career experience varies by institution and individual: challenges in career progression can be compounded by institutional protocols and intersectional factors, and vary with career stage. The intersection of early-career job precarity, reproductive decisions and associated family responsibilities were particularly highlighted in this study. These 'pinch points' in career development disproportionately affect, but are not limited to, female early career scholars. Early career progress may be stalled in mid-career in multi-staged promotional systems such as that in UK universities; some from minorities face compound barriers; men with caring responsibilities may face prejudice. The paper concludes with suggested strategies for change, highlighting the importance of individual university and department protocols and practices; line manager and other senior colleagues' attitudes and leadership in creating workplaces with an equality-driven ethos and structures that allow individuals to flourish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to present the current position of female managers in Britain and examine the similarities and differences between male and female managers. In terms of managerial efficiency and performance per se, the evidence strongly suggests that there are far more similarities than differences between the way men and women 'manage.' However, there are some major sex differences in relation to demographic profiles, job status and employment factors, career development, occupational stress levels, and attitudes towards female managers compared to their male counterparts. One in nine managers in Britain are women and less than one per cent occupy senior management positions. Women managers tend to have to be more highly qualified than men managers, are more likely to be single or divorced, and encounter more prejudice and discrimination in the work environment. In addition, compared to male managers female managers have to cope with additional stressors stemming both from their work and home lives. It is suggested that many of these differences are hampering the career prospects of women in management and contributing towards the difficulties they have in reaching the higher levels of management compared to men. Finally, recommendations for changes in corporate and legislative policies are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender differences in the accumulation of pension savings are well documented. Work in this field has concluded that while differing lifetime work profiles (and family history) explained much of the difference, other factors such as pension knowledge and confidence in decision-making, may also be significant. This research, commissioned by the Fawcett Society and funded by Scottish Widows, explores some of these factors through the use of 30 semi-structured interviews and a focus group with women (aged 24–39) about their attitudes and motivations towards pension saving. It concentrates on discussions around pension knowledge, advice and decision-making, and identifies challenges in relation to women’s pension knowledge and the use of male ‘role models’ in making decisions. The article then explores potential policy mechanisms to enhance women’s pension saving for retirement, including the manner in which information and advice is provided and strategies to improve confidence in pension decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) women who came to the UK to work as nurses is interwoven with the history of the NHS. The colonial construct of the BAME female nurse is embedded in British society. From the post-second-world-war years to the 1960s, to today, BAME women chose to become nurses and work in the ‘motherland’, a term regularly used by those immigrating to England from the former colonies. The experiences of the BAME female nurse in the 1970s and early 1980s were of overt racism and lack of advancement. Although racism was less overt in the late 1980s and 1990s, these experiences continued and BAME female nurse advancement levels remained lower than among their white female counterparts. In the 21st century there continues to be significant differences in treatment of BAME female nurses compared with white nursing colleagues, with the enduring effects of the coloniser holding the power to impact on the BAME female nurse who is the colonised, racially stereotyped and less powerful. There are multifaceted reasons for the unequal treatment of BAME female nurses. However, the persistent construct of colonialism and power needs to be recognised if the NHS is to acknowledge ongoing racialised inequalities experienced by BAME female nurses. A recognition of racist and sexist discriminatory actions must occur to permit the development of equal opportunity strategies to address these unacceptable inequalities and generate a real cultural shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although it is generally accepted that women who work part-time are, on average, more satisfied in their jobs than their full-time counterparts, this is unlikely to be true for all women. Using the British Household Panel Survey, we estimate the determinants of job satisfaction using a fixed-effects linear regression and define categories of women according to their level of education, age cohort, family circumstances, and pathway into part-time work. We show that women who work part-time are more satisfied with their jobs, although the effect is noticeably weaker for key groups: those born in or after 1970, the better educated and those who enter part-time employment directly from full-time work. We argue that these results reflect shifting attitudes by women towards their employment. Women today, especially those belonging to the younger cohort, expect more from their jobs and are beginning to express dissatisfaction if this is not realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is concerned with the implications of casual, non-permanent forms of employment that have become a common cultural practice in higher education. It proposes that contractual terms of employment have important implications for women and leadership in higher education, since to pursue leadership, usually one must first gain permanency in an organization, in contractual terms. Based on an autoethnographic study by a female academic in a UK higher education institution, the article illustrates that temporary forms of employment, should they be protracted, can stifle leadership aspirations due to lack of career progression opportunities and lead to a sense of alienation from the target community of practice, and even to personal difficulties, such as feelings of isolation and poor self-esteem. The article discusses theoretical and practical implications for women's leadership arising from the findings and makes recommendations for improvements in practice in the higher education sector. The findings and recommendations from this study will also be relevant to other organizational contexts where casual or temporary, fixed term, zero-hours non-permanent forms of employment are common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1917 the British government began making plans for post-war adjustments to the economy, which included the migration of surplus women to the dominions. The Society for the Overseas Settlement of British Women was established in 1920 to facilitate the migration of female workers to the dominions. Earlier studies have argued that overseas emigration efforts purposefully directed women into domestic service as surplus commodities, thus alleviating the female 'surplus' and easing economic hardships of the post-war period. This article argues that as Publicity Officer for the SOSBW, Meriel Talbot targeted women she believed would be ideal candidates for emigration, including former members of the Women's Land Army and affiliated groups. With the proper selection of female migrants, Talbot sought to expand work opportunities for women in the dominions beyond domestic service, while reducing the female surplus at home and servicing the connection between state and empire. Dominion authorities, whose demands for migrant labour vacillated between agricultural workers during the war years and domestic servants after 1920, disapproved of Talbot's efforts to migrate women for work in agriculture. Divergent policies led to the early failure of the SOSBW in 1923. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emotional and occupational cultures of Britain underwent significant shifts during the long 1950s. This article explores the intersection between the two, using a range of social survey material––including Mass Observation sources––to explore feelings about paid work, the impact of paid employment on emotional well-being, and the management of feelings in the workplace. It suggests that women workers were consistently constructed as both inherently emotional, and therefore unsuited for the higher occupational ranks, and as talented emotional workers able to perform unremunerated emotional labour. Whilst paid employment has often been presented as the antidote to domestic discontent, experiential evidence suggests that it also often involved the migration of private emotion work into the public domain. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The paper examines if workplace gender diversity offers some explanation for the decline of unions in Britain. Using the WERS2004 linked employer-employee data and alternative econometric estimators it reports an inverse relationship between workplace union density and gender diversity. Gender and ownership status based sub-group analyses suggest the inverse relationship to be stronger for male union members and those in the private sector. Gender group size-based analysis reveals a positive link between workplace union density and gender diversity in workplaces with a female majority. The findings in this paper may mean that unions may need to embrace the changing workplace demography genuinely to improve their fate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to existing literature on flexible working at an organisational level by presenting the results of a qualitative study of women employees and managers in small firms who have been involved in negotiating part-time hours on return to work post-maternity leave. The study finds that the right to request flexible working has become embedded in the policies of small firms and that the overwhelming experience of women employees was positive: their requests were accepted because they were perceived as valuable and consequently their managers wanted to retain them. However employees who lacked ongoing managerial support had a less positive experience. The study also examines other aspects of the operation of the right to request such as the efficacy of written policies on flexible working and the extent to which the negotiation process was formalised. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has a long history of advocacy for women's health, nationally and internationally. There is a demand and interest in global women's health among a sample of junior doctors training in obstetrics and gynaecology in the UK. There is ongoing debate regarding whether this desire should be nurtured, opportunities created and barriers addressed, both in the interest of training and as a means of addressing global health inequity. Global health work needs to be a mutually beneficial partnership for all involved, with work carried out sensitively and sustainably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]