USU UWLP Publishes New Statewide Data on Utah Women in the Workplace

USU Extension Press Release

The Utah State University Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) has released the first of six white papers that share the results of a comprehensive statewide study conducted in the fall of 2024. The study supports the efforts of “A Bolder Way Forward,” a statewide movement focused on ensuring that more Utah girls, women, and their families thrive.

The first white paper shares the findings from four topic areas: Organizational Strategies & Workplace Culture, Childcare/Pre-K Programs, Gender Pay Gap, and Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based Discrimination. The 82-item survey, taken from Oct. 1 to Nov. 20, 2024, included two samples (representative and convenience), with 4,721 Utah participants, including 1,123 men.

“For those who want to more deeply understand the perceptions and attitudes around the challenges Utah women and girls face, this 40-page report contains a significant amount of critical data that can help,” said lead researcher and author Susan Madsen, UWLP director and Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the USU Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. “We invite the public to view the report in its entirety. This is our second year of data collection, so the report addresses how data may have changed since the inaugural 2023 survey.”

Organization Strategies & Workplace Culture. Four survey items assessed Utahns’ perceptions of the organizational strategies and workplace cultures of their companies:

1. My organization offers family-friendly policies to meet my needs.
2. In my organization, I have opportunities for advancement.
3. My organization has strategies that advance women in the workplace.
4. I feel a sense of belonging at work.

For example, when respondents were asked if they agreed that their organization offered family-friendly policies to meet their needs, the results hovered around “somewhat agree” (5.10 on a scale of 1 to 7). Even though 67.6% of Utahns work for employers with at least some family-friendly policies, 32.5% were unsure or disagreed. An open-ended question asked participants’ concerns for women, and one woman stated, “Women are given the same amount of leave/sick time for work; however, from my experience, they need to use it more to care for their families and therefore are left without any for themselves.”

Respondents most likely to agree with the statement were full-time, married employees with children. They also had higher household incomes and more education.

“Although it is great that many Utah companies have family-friendly policies, so many of our residents, including those among our most vulnerable, don’t have the workplace policies they need to support their families,” Madsen said.

Childcare & Pre-Kindergarten Programs. Madsen said Utah families face significant challenges navigating the childcare landscape, with issues related to accessibility, affordability, and quality complicating the personal, critical decisions families face. Four items assessed Utahn’s perceptions of childcare and Pre-K programs:

1. Access to childcare is an issue that Utah families face.
2. Childcare providers are professionals.
3. Childcare and Pre-K programs play an important role in early childhood education.
4. The government has a role in addressing childcare in Utah.

For instance, when respondents were asked if they believe government has a role in addressing childcare, the findings hovered between “somewhat agree” and “agree” (5.54). Utahns agreed –  with 31.9% strongly agreeing and 45.8% agreeing or somewhat agreeing. Only 8.4% of study participants disagreed with the statement at any level. One participant stated, “Access to affordable childcare is a constant struggle for working mothers.”

Those most likely to agree with the statement were women, 54 or younger, parents with multiple children, more highly educated, and full-time employees and students. In addition, study respondents who selected Pacific Islander, White, and Asian had the strongest agreement, along with those who selected Atheist, Agnostic, Judaism, and Spiritual but Not Religious as their religious affiliation.

Gender Pay Gap. Four items assessed Utahns’ perceptions of the gender pay gap in Utah, which is that women earn approximately 30% less than men:

1. I believe a gender pay gap exists in Utah.
2. Utah women make less money than their male counterparts, even when they have the same or similar experience, education, and position.
3. Utah’s pay gap exists because of women’s own choices (e.g., career breaks, educational choices, lack of experience, job industry).
4. Utah leaders should take action to close the gender pay gap.

Respondents believe that the gender pay gap exists in Utah, with a statistical mean of 6.24 (on an agreement scale of 1 to 7) for the convenience sample and 5.69 for the combined samples. Most Utahns agreed, with 41.3% strongly agreeing and 35.9% agreeing or somewhat agreeing. Only 7.2% of participants disagreed at any level.

When participants were asked if Utah women make less money than their male counterparts even with the same/similar experience, education, and position – again, most Utahns agreed. In fact, 37.3% strongly agreed, another 39.9% either agreed or somewhat agreed, while only 7.6% disagreed at any level.

“The results make it clear that most Utahns understand the gap is not a myth and that it is not all about women’s own choices,” said Madsen.

One woman who took the survey stated, “There is still a sense that women don’t ‘need’ as much as men in the same role. I have heard many times that I should be grateful for the salary I am making, even though a man in the same role would make 20K to 40K more.”

Sexual Harassment & Gender-Based Discrimination. Finally, four items assessed Utahn’s perceptions of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination in Utah:

1. Sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination are problems in the state of Utah.
2. People make a bigger deal out of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination than is warranted.
3. I know what steps to take or what resources are available if me or a friend experienced sexual harassment.
4. I trust that most organizations in Utah would appropriately handle a sexual harassment report.

When survey respondents were asked if they trusted that organizations in Utah would appropriately handle a sexual harassment report, the findings hovered slightly below “neither agree nor disagree” (mean of 3.96). Many Utahns (57%) selected a level of disagreement or ambivalence, while 20% chose “somewhat agree,” and 23% agreed or strongly agreed.

“The findings tell us that sexual harassment and other types of gender-based discrimination against women are serious concerns of Utahns,” said Madsen.

As one participant stated, “Almost every woman I know has experienced sexual harassment or assault,” while another said, “I have had weird, inappropriate, uncomfortable and belittling experiences as a woman in the workplace in Utah. It’s exhausting.”

“Although the six white papers are designed for those who want to explore the data deeply, the reports can be helpful for anyone who wants to help their workplaces and communities find ways to ensure that more girls, women, and families in Utah thrive,” Madsen concluded.

Kolene Anderson, UWLP associate director, is another report author. Click here to read the full report.