It has been widely reported that the pandemic has negatively impacted women’s careers disproportionally, largely due to the closing of schools and the resulting childcare challenges. For example, in McKinsey’s annual Women in the Workplace report, more than one in four women are contemplating downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce completely. (1)
So where is the silver lining? It comes from the adjustments that many businesses have made to accommodate their workforces including (2):
- Allowing flexibility in scheduling remote work around childcare needs
- Remote work in itself, which provides flexibility on work location
- Employers becoming more aware of the needs of parents
Remote work is proving to be as productive (and in some studies more productive (3)) as in-office work. It allows employees to focus on deep work without being distracted by co-workers, eliminates the time and burden of commuting to/from work, and can reduce employers’ office space needs.
The benefits of remote work and the increased employer sensitivity to the needs of parents will likely continue after the pandemic, which will benefit working parents and disproportionally working women.
(1) https://hrexecutive.com/heres-how-employers-can-avoid-losing-talented-women-during-the-pandemic/
(2) https://www.benefitspro.com/2020/10/29/a-break-in-the-pandemic-clouds-shows-benefits-for-women/