The hybrid home-office split is still a work in progress

Janine Chamberlain's return from maternity leave to her job as UK country manager at LinkedIn in February was very different from her experience after giving birth to her son 13 years ago.

She says her new, flexible, hybrid work schedule — spending some time in the office and doing some work remotely — means “I can spend time with my daughter before I get to the office,” while her partner takes care of the baby later. But her son was born before working from home became an established norm amid the pandemic, so “it's been very difficult to set boundaries that work for me.”

Businesses were experimenting with flexible arrangements before Covid struck in 2020. However, it was the drastic action required by national lockdowns that changed attitudes. For many employers, as well as employees, this has been an opportunity to reset the paradigm for both the workplace and working hours. Data collected by Gallup last year showed that 46 percent of women work fully or partially remotely, compared to 40 percent of men.

All workers could benefit from greater flexibility, less commuting, and more time for commitments outside of work, but the effects — good or bad — are most pronounced for female workers.

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Co-working offers opportunities to circumvent childcare obligations, which statistics show still fall disproportionately on women. Research conducted in 2021 by Catalyst, a nonprofit consulting firm that supports better workplaces for women, found that remote work reduces burnout — both physical and psychological exhaustion — by 26 percent. “While burnout affects people of all races, genders, and ethnicities, women experience workplace burnout more than men,” the research says.

However, remote work can also exacerbate negative experiences, such as being overlooked at work and being overloaded at home.

About 40 percent of women surveyed by Deloitte for the Women at Work 2023 report said they were left out of meetings, decisions and informal interactions when working in a hybrid way. About 30 percent said they had less exposure to senior leaders. However, these two numbers were lower than the previous year, suggesting that managers and employers are dealing with the challenges that have emerged.

For many women, giving up flexibility is not an option. About a quarter of respondents to the Deloitte survey said they would ask to reduce their working hours if their employer asked them to work in the office, while about 10 percent said they would look for another job.

So, as hybrid working becomes more normal, managers and employees are taking steps to make the most of it, and avoid the risks.

Relationships and communication

Despite the technical tools that enable remote communication, one cost of hybrid work is the difficulty of collaboration, which women are traditionally good at, says Naomi Shragai, a business psychotherapist and author of Occupational Therapy: Or the Man Who Got His Job Wrong. His life.

To address this, she advises making an effort to meet and work with colleagues on certain days in the workplace: “Be intentional about cultivating relationships and don’t leave it to chance encounters.”

Companies with hybrid working policies need to encourage all employees to think about how they can make the most of flexible working

Karen Tuaronette, global head of diversity, equity and inclusion at professional services firm EY, emphasizes “predictable flexibility.” For employees, this usually means going to the office on the same days every week; For managers, this means using those days to physically assemble the team. The result is accountability, collaboration and flexibility.

Predictability will be appreciated by colleagues and managers. So, instead of canceling a meeting at short notice to do school administration, for example, communicate all commitments openly and upfront. Determine when you are or are not available for meetings and stick to a predictable schedule.

A role model

Hybrid working is most effective when everyone embraces it “not through policy, but through practice,” says Lucy Kallen, managing director for EMEA at Catalyst. Therefore, team leaders should set an example by working from home themselves and encourage their teams to do so as well.

Catalyst's Kalin suggests a “remote-first” rule on some days, when employees need a reason to go into the office instead of working remotely.

She suggests introducing a “remote first” rule on some days, as employees need a reason to go to the office instead of working remotely.

Chamberlain — who typically works about three days a week from home at the moment — agrees that this is crucial to creating the more equal workplaces, which many had hoped the pandemic reset would bring.

“Companies with hybrid working policies need to encourage all employees – not just women – to think about how they can make the most of flexible working,” she says. “Making sure that employees feel it is okay to use the options available to them, and that they still find ways to grow in their careers, is key.”

Enhance achievements

Keeping a low profile can make it difficult to demonstrate accomplishments.

“It's often difficult to communicate or detect daily wins when teams aren't together,” says Christine Lipton, managing director of business development at Gallup Research Group. She advises employees to recognize accomplishments — “not just the accomplishments of your colleagues or team members, but your own; document and celebrate the successes.”

“Women who choose to stay apart could find that their networks become smaller,” warns Mark Mortensen, assistant professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD business school. He suggests intentionally making connections with colleagues who can support and promote you.

Recognize the challenges

Maintaining the right balance between work life and home life becomes more difficult when flexible working blurs boundaries. “Women may find that they face unrealistic expectations to not only do everything, but to do everything at once,” Lipton says. One partial remedy is to set boundaries — and respect — about work hours and off-hours messaging.

There is a growing concern that on-site managers will tend to favor some employees with promotions and opportunities, simply because they are more visible.

“We are just beginning to experience the potential negative impact of hybrids on women,” Lipton points out. “If on-site managers allow proximal bias to creep in, female co-ed workers—with all the benefits that brings—may inadvertently project themselves beyond the scope of . . . long-term career promotions.”

It is up to managers to ensure hybrid workplaces remain functioning well. “The real issue is not that women need to make the most of hybrid working, but that companies and leaders need to maximize its benefits,” Kalin says.