A new U.K. survey commissioned by Ernst & Young sheds light on the glass ceiling concept of women’s career advancement. According to the 1,000 working women polled, there isn’t just one obstacle hindering their progress, but several.
“The notion that there is a single glass ceiling for women, as a working concept for today’s modern career, is dead,” said Liz Bingham, the managing partner for people at Ernst & Young. “Professional working women have told us they face multiple barriers on their rise to the top. We recognize that in our own business, and in others, and professional women clearly experience it — that’s what they have told us.”
The biggest barrier women report facing in the workplace is age. Nearly one-third of respondents reported that they were perceived as either too young or too old at work, while 27 percent thought age would soon have a negative influence on their career. Curiously, half of survey participants between 18 and 23 said that age had already been an obstacle they’d encountered in their career.
Other obstacles cited in the Ernst & Young survey include a lack of experience or qualifications, motherhood and a dearth of female role models. Ladies, what career barriers have you encountered?
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