Blatant sexual harassment and hostile work environments are making headlines a lot lately. Fortunately, most of us are not working in offices that reflect the extreme circumstances described in many of the complaints. Unfortunately, many of our offices are unwittingly unequal.

Here are a few ways our approach can undermine women and how to address it.

Gender plus

Trying to create workplace equality is more challenging if we only focus on making things better for women. That is one piece of a bigger puzzle. Such specific data can be helpful, but it becomes more useful in the context of the larger picture.

For example, if HR analyzes salaries and notices a discrepancy between men and women, addressing the pay gap is only one part of the solution. Understanding why there is a gap can help uncover the more subtle, systemic issue.

Specifically, is the performance measurement tool biased? Are managers properly trained in evaluating team members and recommending raises? Does anyone have oversight over the organization-wide evaluation and raise process to ensure it is conducted and implemented fairly?

Adjusting salaries will help, but understanding and addressing the bigger issue will go further toward eliminating inequality.

It's not just babies

In their annual report on Best Workplaces for Women, Great Places to Work points out that the characteristics that make an organization great for women are not always what we assume. Specifically, it is not always about supporting women who are having babies.

Again, while creating a positive environment for mothers is essential, this is a small part of the bigger picture — just like the percentage of pregnant working women. As the survey of more than 400,000 women found, it is more about being part of the team and valued for it.

For example, ownership programs and investments in education and professional development are programs that can be offered to all employees. Yet these programs significantly impact female employee's perspective about the organization and their role within it. This, in turn, positively impacts the length of time she will stay with the organization.

Bottom line

By creating a culture that supports equality and invests in employees, all employees win. To root out inequality and potentially undermining women in the organization, it is great to analyze data like salary, tenure and title along gender lines. But it is also critical to look at the results within the context of organizationwide programs and the systems supporting them.

Remedying the discrepancies is one step. Rethinking the systems and taking a holistic approach are the next steps.