Is Remote Work Good for Women? | Financial Times

Last week, I shared Deloitte’s 2024 Women@Work report, summarizing key findings from its survey of approximately 5,000 women across 10 countries regarding various aspects of the workplace. One notable finding is that just 1 in 10 women feel comfortable openly discussing the need for increased work flexibility, and a staggering 95% believe that seeking or using flexible work options impacts their chances of promotion. This new Financial Times article highlights a study (working paper, The Power of Proximity to Coworkers) showing that remote work disproportionately diminishes the amount of feedback women receive compared to men. This data point suggests that one trade-off of increased remote work, particularly for women, is less frequent feedback, potentially impeding career development and advancement. While the study focuses only on software engineers at a Fortune 500 company, it offers an empirical data point to consider. As HR and talent practitioners increasingly turn to evidence-based research to inform talent management and workplace practices, I am resharing my one-page cheat sheet with four studies on different aspects of the workplace, such as return-to-office mandates.