Another week, another body of evidence to show that women are getting a raw deal in the workplace.
News that anyone working flexibly - of which the vast majority are women - are still being passed over for promotion may not come as a great shock to HR professionals, but what are you actually doing about it in practice?
Yes, you've got the policies in place, I hear you say. And yes, you should congratulate yourselves on the progress that has been made so far. But isn't it time you revisited and reviewed how your organisation's policies are actually working?
Despite some advances, HR still has a massive job to do to maximise the use of women's skills at every level and remove the informal barriers to achieving equality. And a swift self examination should show whether your workplace is one that promotes equal opportunities for all its staff.
Is your organisation one that doesn't quite live up to its stated values? Are you making sure that the tough economic conditions don't become an excuse for hastily dismissing flexible working requests on cost grounds? Or perhaps you're not exhausting all the options to accommodate your workers' skills much beyond the traditional nine-to-five model?
To create a culture less forgiving of the views that tend to remain the preserve of old, white males, HR needs to go all out to challenge the assumptions about what women and men can and want to do. You need to continue to persuade your leaders that welcoming women into the boardroom and senior posts is not a risk - it's an opportunity.
And putting a monetary value on flexibility or even changing the terminology around flexibility will help no end.
At last week's Opportunity Now awards, I was wowed by the energy and drive of the individuals and teams that are breaking down barriers to really make a difference. I hope more of you will rise to the challenge.
