The benefits of remote work for women

For nearly two years, millions of employees have been working from home. Remote work in the pandemic rapidly accelerated digitalisation and flexible working – and amid the biggest work experiment ever, more and more companies are embracing it for the long-term.

Remote work, pros and cons

Benefits such as flexibility and autonomy have enabled many women to gain back precious time while juggling the demands of both work and home. However, remote work still comes with its own set of challenges, and simply allowing employees to work from home is not enough. Now is the time to be vigilant – and to support women in business more than ever as we make this remote work transition.

One of the biggest benefits we’ve seen is the true sense of flexibility that remote work provides to employees. For working women, in particular, this has arguably opened up the opportunity to better balance work and home, without compromising on “climbing the ladder”. The advantages are obvious. Without the stress of a hectic commute, or the pressure to be physically present in the office, you can find a better balance with work.

While these benefits are true regardless of gender, data suggests that they are valued higher amongst women. Pre-Covid, research found that women were more likely than men to leave their job over a long commute. And with more freedom to structure their day, 50% of women claim that home is where they feel the most productive when working.

Remote work is not without its challenges

While the shift to remote work has brought about great positives, we can’t neglect its unique challenges. The pandemic placed a strain on all working parents and caregivers – however, research has shown that women have taken on the greater share of unpaid care work, including housework, childcare and eldercare.

The impact of this must not be taken lightly; data from McKinsey and Lean In found that one in three women thought about cutting down, or leaving paid work during Covid. Challenges will arise when just 1 in 10 women intend to return to the workplace, leaving more men back in the office. This risk of an uneven experience gives rise to concern when it comes to diversity and opportunities for career progression, with 62% of women claiming that in some companies, Covid has negatively impacted their prospects for promotion.

Culture is key

Remote work alone is not a quick fix for women in the workplace. If remote work is to provide women with the right environment to be successful, then we must end any remaining notions of presenteeism. Businesses need to move away from the traditional view on what a typical working day ‘should’ look like, and empower their employees with greater autonomy when it comes to how, where and when they work.

To do this, we will need to move to an output-focused way of working — one that is rooted in outcomes rather than hours online, meetings are taken, or emails returned. Managers must learn to judge the result, not just the path is taken to get there — only then will we unlock greater freedom and flexibility for women.

Technology can help bridge the gap

The world of technology has quickly recognised the potential of remote work and the need for suitable tools in this new environment. Countless products are available to make virtual collaboration effective, with platforms for project management, VC solutions for real-time conversation – and screen recording tools, such as Capture, that can play a valuable role in cutting down meetings, and enabling employees to communicate with distributed teams.

However, we must make a conscious effort to be meaningful in our use of technology. More tech is not better tech – it requires strategy and careful implementation that enables employees to make use of these tools in a healthy and organised way. From today, managers everywhere need to start role modelling the right usage of technology to empower their people – and women in particular – when it comes to turning off and drawing lines between work and home.

Laura Ryan, Director of International HR and Dublin Site Lead at Dropbox

Laura Ryan is the Director of International HR at Dropbox, the content collaboration platform that helps keep work organised. Laura joined Dropbox in 2015 to lead the company’s international people strategy and operations – having previously spent five years at Google. Today, Laura has over 18 years of experience within the HR industry, having previously started her career at the insurance company Aviva.