Workplace Belonging of Women Healthcare Professionals Relates to Likelihood of Leaving

Abstract

Purpose There is a high rate of attrition of professionals from healthcare institutions, which threatens the economic viability of these institutions and the quality of care they provide to patients. Women professionals face particular challenges that may lower their sense of belonging in the healthcare workplace. We sought to test the hypothesis that workplace belonging of women healthcare professionals relates to the likelihood that they expect to leave their institution. Methods Participants of a continuing education course on women’s leadership skills in health care completed a survey about their experiences of belonging in workplace and their likelihood of leaving that institution within the next 2 years. An association between workplace belonging (measured by the cumulative number of belonging factors experienced, scale 0–10) and likelihood of leaving (measured on a 5-point Likert scale) was evaluated using ordinal logistic regression. The relative importance of workplace belonging factors in predicting the likelihood of leaving was assessed using dominance analysis. Results Ninety-nine percent of survey participants were women, and 63% were clinicians. Sixty-one percent of participants reported at least a slight likelihood of leaving their healthcare institution within the next 2 years. Greater workplace belonging was found to be associated with a significant reduction in the reported likelihood of leaving their institution after accounting for the number of years having worked in their current institution, underrepresented minority status, and the interaction between the latter two covariates. The workplace belonging factor found to be most important in predicting the likelihood of leaving was the belief that there was an opportunity to thrive professionally in the institution. Belonging factors involving feeling able to freely share thoughts and opinions were also found to be of relatively high importance in predicting the likelihood of leaving. Conclusion Greater workplace belonging was found to relate significantly to a reduced likelihood of leaving their institution within the next 2 years. Our findings suggest that leaders of healthcare organizations might reduce attrition of women by fostering workplace belonging with particular attention to empowering professional thriving and creating a culture that values open communication.

Sense of belonging is a critical component of workforce retention

“…Structural sexism means women often face barriers to returning to work after giving birth, including inadequate leave, lack of private spaces for breast feeding or expressing breast milk, and productivity based pay reductions. Conversely, women’s belief that they can thrive professionally6 is a key component of belonging that can promote retention in the healthcare workforce.…”

“…Organisational cultures, policies, and practices should support individuals to improve their sense of belonging. Effective communication of all workplace policies, practices, and accountability measures relating to belonging is vital to ensure all employees are receptive 6789. To reduce attrition from the workforce, these policies and practices must be designed by clinicians from historically under-represented groups (including women, and especially Black women) then operationalised by healthcare organisations in partnership with all employees 816.…”

“…Attempts to enhance belonging should not focus on acculturation; organisations should instead align their goals with those of individual workers—being “part of the group” must not be synonymous with losing self, culture, or traditions. These cultural needs and experiences enrich the work environment, are individual and multidimensional, and have been identified as critical components of occupational safety and wellbeing 6789…”

Reframing the gender equity discussion in anaesthesiology: adopting best practices to promote physician retention and belonging

“…This is especially important for previously excluded and minoritised groups. Although there is a need for more research on the effect of belonging on workforce retention, one recent study showed that greater workplace belonging was found to be significantly related to a reduced likelihood of women in medicine reporting that they intended to leave their institution within the next 2 years [18]. `troublemaker´felt anxious about re-entry´´ [2].…”

Letter to the Editor on "The Chief Wellness Officer: A long overdue catalyst for systemic change in Emergency Medicine"

“…It has been demonstrated that as individuals identify more belonging factors in the workplace, the likelihood to leave their current employment decreases (Figure 1). 4 When reviewing feedback from participants of a women's leadership course (99% women, 63% clinicians), 61% of respondents reported a likelihood of leaving their institution within 2 years. An inability to thrive professionally at one's institution was most predictive of attrition.…”