Women workers ‘twice as likely as men to have lost confidence in lockdown’

Many workers, especially women, have suffered a loss of confidence in their jobs during the coronavirus crisis, research has found.

Women are finding returning to work challenging if they have been out of a job and are now worried about the cost of childcare, said a report.

Firms are being urged to help staff settle back in as the lockdown eases.

A survey of more than 1,000 adults by Vodafone found that almost two out of three of those returning to the workplace after a year or more away were hit by a loss of confidence in their own ability.

The issue was almost twice as prevalent for women as for men, said the report.

More than two-thirds of respondents said they felt cut off from the world of work during their time away from it.

At the same time, a new survey from Deloitte has found British female professionals have suffered a huge hit to their work-life balance and overall wellbeing during the pandemic.

A survey earlier this year found a quarter of staff said their employers had not checked on their mental health during the pandemic.

The first lockdown began on 24 March last year, and workers in some occupations are just only just starting to return.

The proportion of people working from home more than doubled last year, though it remained a minority of overall workers across the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Helen Lamprell, of Vodafone UK, said: “As a society we can and must do more to make it easier for people who have taken a career break to re-enter the workplace, once they are ready.

“Supporting returners helps organisations bridge skills shortages and improve retention and diversity, while supporting those individuals and the wider economy.”