Working from home has become a popular choice as it offers great advantages especially to those who have many personal commitments. Claire McCartney, A senior policy advisor at the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) stated that there are “real advantages” for those who wish to work from home. She added, “I think there are real benefits for women who often take on more childcare and caring responsibilities,"
YouGov’s survey found that women aged 18 to 24 (65%) and women in London were the most enthusiastic about the career benefits of working from home, according to a YouGov poll of 1,684 women. Additionally, more women in the ABC1 group (57%) said working from home would boost their career prospects, e.g. those with middle-class or ‘white collar’ occupations. Contrastingly, many women have also stated that working from home would not further advance their current careers.
Head to our recent blog post, "Working from Home: Best tips to Maximise Productivity during a Pandemic (2021)", where we provide some of the best tips on how to stay focused and productive when working from home.
There are many advantages to working from home as it:
- allows more flexibility;
- cuts travel expenses;
- provides a better balance between personal and work life;
- cuts carbon emissions.
Although there are many advantages, you must keep in mind that there are also many disadvantages to this working style, for instance:
- lack of communication;
- lack of working equipment;
- personal responsibilities overtake work-life balance;
- no motivation.
With that being said, flexible working arrangements should not be gender restricted. As mentioned by McCartney, "Flexible working in all its forms should be normalised for all employees regardless of gender, as not everyone can work from home.”
Remote working may offer great benefits but many have cited that it has further highlighted the inequalities between men and women. The founder of the talent platform Flexible Working People, Katy Fridman, stated, “There has to be encouragement across the board [for flexible working] from seniority to entry-level staff and whatever gender, so there isn’t a disparity, or this could very well set women back.”
The disparity has become far more apparent even before the Coronavirus pandemic as a recent study conducted by Behavioural Insights showed that women are more likely to request this hybrid work model as it enables them to focus on their family responsibilities more. Furthermore, the Institute of Fiscal Studies also found that working mothers found it difficult to balance their work and personal responsibilities.
There is also a sentiment towards those who prefer this work model, that those who wish to work from home are not serious and so are more likely to lose out on a promotion or pay rise.
Working from home is a model that has become far more popular since the restrictions were put in place at the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic and for some, it has become a necessity to sustain their livelihoods.
What can I do to promote better gender equalities?
There is no clear cut solution as to how this model of working can alleviate the current gender inequalities, but your company can still incorporate remote working effectively for those who wish to work from home. Your company can:
- Monitor employees - this is essential as it will allow you can gain a better understanding of how remote working may provide effects to those with different roles in your company;
- Provide professional equipment - technology is paramount especially for those who wish to work from home, making sure that your employees have access to the right equipment can help boost their productivity at home;
- Maintain clear and consistent communication - communication is key to every business and you can maintain a good level of communication by implementing daily or weekly meetings through different platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Zoom;
These are only the starting points for your business that you can utilise in order to create a better work environment for all of your employees who have chosen to work from home.
The Coronavirus pandemic has proven to be disruptive to our businesses and at Persona Finance, we can offer your businesses remote accounting services. Contact Persona Finance now at [enquiries@personafinance.co.uk].
