Confronting the ideal worker myth to better support efforts towards gender equity: recommendations for a post-pandemic workforce

Figures & data

Figure 1. Framework of gender inequity, the ideal worker myth, and proposed solution.

Table 1. Summary of the ideal worker myth and gender inequity.

Topic	Take-Home Point	Call to Action
Ideal Worker Myth and Gender Inequity	The idea that workers do not have a life outside of work, or can be wholly devoted to their work life at all times, is outdated and perpetuates gender inequity	Begin to challenge the ideal worker myth in your own relationship with work and your workplace
Pandemic-Related Implications	Continuing to undervalue unpaid work, while simultaneously valuing paid work, does little to support gender equity. Strains relating to paid and unpaid labor perpetuate inequities within the workforce for women	Consider the implications for valuing, economically and socially, women’s work. Consider both paid and unpaid labor as work that all individuals can and should engage in, regardless of gender, so that the workforce of the future can truly support gender equity
Intersectional Feminism and Gender Equity	Gender inequity harms all workers, not just women. Intersectional feminism champions the belief that all people should be valued, and all aspects of identity must be considered when addressing inequity	Consider the multiple identities that people hold and how each one of these identities can be a source of fulfillment and source of stigma, discrimination, and inequity (e.g. ‘mother’ identity as fulfilling and a source of discrimination)
Diversity and Representation	The ideal worker myth upholds a narrow concept of a valuable employee, but the global workforce is and needs to be diverse	Recognize that all workers bring relevant knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics to their jobs that contribute to the functioning of an organization

Table 2. Recommendations for theory and practice: a how-to guide for subverting the ideal worker myth.

Future Direction	Implication	Actionable Recommendation
Integrate Feminist and Management Scholarship	Consider how gendered organization theory, intersectionality, etc. applies to the post-pandemic workplace	Question: How can gendered organization theory be tested and developed given pandemic-related challenges? Action: Integrate feminist and management theories
Confront the Business Case and ‘Bottom Line’ Mentality	Having a workforce of ‘ideal workers’ may not help the bottom line as much as one thinks	Question: Are ‘ideal workers’ more productive than ‘non-ideal workers’? Action: Consider the impact on the bottom line that the ideal worker myth has, including possible negative outcomes (e.g., increased turnover, presenteeism)
Recognize and Challenge the Ideal Worker Myth in the Workplace and in Teaching	Look for signs or characteristics of the ideal worker myth in clients and stakeholders	Question: Could issues with the client be attributable to the assumption that workers should be ‘ideal workers’? Action: Address qualities of the ideal worker myth in organizations
Use Coaching and Identity Work	Contemplate and example the roles and identities that are held and cherished	Question: What identities do clients have in addition to their work identity? Action: Consider coaching and identity work as a piece of client-facing tools
Adopt Gender-Equitable Policies and Practices	Ensure that policies and practices do not create or add to gender inequity, including backlash / career penalties	Question: Do workers feel compelled to work more because of this practice, and does that harm efforts towards gender equity? Action: Critically examine the policies and practices adopted by organizations, including which policies and practices are adopted versus used