Lawyer Ezgi Esnik Günay has prepared a column for Yasemin.com readers on one of today’s problems, ‘feeling of guilt in female employees’.
The separation of jobs in social life as women’s work and men’s work takes the feature of being the dominant view all over the world from the past. In addition to the separation of jobs in social life as men’s and women’s jobs, the mentality that unfortunately categorizes business life as women’s work is one of the foundations of inequalities in business life. In response to this general judgment, it has been tried to ensure equality between men and women in business life with various legal regulations.
Although the regulations male and female employees in working life are often at the center of criticism, the answers to the question of why the idea of equality between women and men should also be legally supported, pushes us to investigate the feeling of guilt in female employees.
Unfortunately, female employees struggle between home and work life. Especially female employees who have children have to work by fighting a great battle between home, work and children, both physically and mentally. On top of that, the perspectives that constantly compare and criticize women at work and at home cause women to feel incomplete and incompetent. Unfortunately, this feeling is undeniably experienced by female employees who have reached high positions in business life. For example, Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, talks about this feeling in her book “Pull The Limits, Women’s Desire for Business and Leadership”.
In general, as female employees achieve success in business life, they are more at home and are constantly manipulated in social life outside of business life. With some statistics, it has been determined that the profitability ratios of companies that include female employees in senior management positions have increased compared to other companies, and the decisive reason for less employment of female employees cannot be shown as women’s failure in business life. Although it is obligatory to accept that women’s work is successful in the field in which they are competent when given the opportunity, when the career barriers of women are examined, it is observed that female employees are not preferred in high-level jobs and are employed with low wages. The most important reason behind this preference is the mentality that sees women as mothers and housewives above all else and that women employees will keep their profession in the second place. In order for female employees to be more successful in business life, this mentality needs to be changed before legal arrangements, but of course, legal arrangements will contribute a lot to the change of this mentality.
The responsibilities of female employees as mothers in family life are unfortunately seen as a disadvantage for women in the working sector and female employees are not preferred in high-level jobs. There are many regulations regarding female employees in working life, taking into account the obligations of female employees as mothers.
For example, the right to work and breastfeeding leave in case of maternity is regulated in Article 74 of the Labor Law. With this article, it is aimed to prevent female employees from leaving their jobs due to the weaselly care of their children during maternity. It can be observed that even the positive regulations made for women employees regarding business life cause women employees not to be preferred in business life. It is an accepted fact that female employees have achieved success all over the world, with female employees falling behind in business life, especially in production, and in all aspects of society. In order for female employees to take a more active role in business life and to occupy high-level positions, it is necessary to give place to female employees in business life by moving away from negative thoughts, with the change and transformation of social perspectives starting from education.
Lawyer Ezgi Esnik Günay
