For women, flexible work is a non-negotiable

Return-to-work policies have been a hard pill to swallow for employees everywhere who have thrived under remote and hybrid workspaces. But for women in particular, it could mark a significant career setback. 

Seventy-two percent of female professionals would prefer to work remotely, according to a recent community poll from workplace insight platform Glassdoor. In fact, this is so important that many women — and full-time working moms in particular — said that a job having some degree of hybrid work was non-negotiable. 

"Over the last few years, the grand remote work experiment has shown what more flexibility and autonomy in work can do to help foster a more engaged and equitable workforce," says Daniel Zhao, Glassdoor's lead economist. "However, there's still a large gap between what workers want and what employers are willing to offer." 

Read more: All or nothing: Employers reconsider RTO

Research shows why women have embraced remote work to the degree that they have. For example, 83% believe hybrid working allows them to prioritize their physical and mental health, according to a survey from workspace solutions provider International Workplace Group, while another 82% believe that it allows them to prioritize family and children. Eighty-eight percent of women even believe hybrid settings serve as an equalizer in the workplace, with 66% saying they experience less biases, whether due to gender, race or otherwise. 

But the recent demand from employers for staff members to return to the office overlooks these  findings. Additionally, almost half of women said they rely on flexibility to support their career progress, according to IWG. That means that returning to the office could also threaten to undo some gains in terms of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

Combined, it could all spell trouble for female employees' overall experience in the workplace in the future, according to Zhao.

Read more: Women only make up 30% of the C-suite — and it's up to employers to change that

"Employers have the upper hand now and we've seen companies pull back on commenting on social issues or even investing in DEI because they fear political consequences or want to cut costs in a cooler economy," he says. "But decisions like these can have a lasting impact on an employer's reputation." 

Employees and job seekers alike have long memories, Zhao says, and while an employer's brand takes years to build, it can be squandered quickly by negative reviews and high turnover. Which is why he urges employers to continue to dedicate themselves to building diverse and inclusive workplaces by investing in flexible policies — whether it's by keeping entirely remote and hybrid approaches or by giving employees more options when it comes to their schedules and PTO.

"Investing in a more equitable and inclusive workforce is both a moral good as well as good for businesses' bottom lines," Zhao says. "It fosters a more engaged workforce and draws from underappreciated pools of talent, but it does require targeted efforts to meet workers where they are."