HCMC – ManpowerGroup has launched the What Women Want At Work Research on International Women’s Day (March 3), which found that the top three things female workers want are autonomy at work, equal pay, and understanding and sympathy from the boss.

The research from the global recruitment, staffing and outsourcing company, leverages data from 4,000 female workers from seven countries and regions: the U.S., Germany, the UK, France, Spain, Italy, and Northern Europe.

Women participating in the survey expressed their needs for a better work-life balance, flexible work hours, job security, gender equality at the workplace, skill development and reduced office presence.

Among them, 35% are willing to take a 5-16% pay cut for fewer office days or remote work.

Labor productivity and the employee turnover rate are directly impacted by income. Some 50% of women workers would quit their current job for better pay and benefits, while 30% would resign to achieve a better work-life balance.

Women are more concerned than men about their job opportunities when they work remotely, as they have fewer chances for collaboration with supervisors, learning from colleagues, receiving promotions, discussing and collaborating, receiving skills training and being evaluated for their performance.

Less than half of the female participants believe their company encourages them to learn new skills, while over 40% think their managers recognize their skills and potential.

Additionally, mental health is becoming increasingly valued after the pandemic. A third of female employees hope their managers understand how their workload affects their mental health, while 14% are willing to sacrifice 5% of their salary for more time to focus on their physical and mental health.

Mental health benefits, such as meeting with counselors, taking wellness days off, or receiving health insurance subsidies, are considered by 14% of female employees (compared to 10% of male employees) to be among the top three most crucial benefits, even more than flexible work arrangements or bonuses.