From sticking on a wash between meetings to collecting the kids from school, hybrid working has transformed our lives since the pandemic – and it has been a particular game-changer for women, who are more likely to choose flexible hours or work from home for childcare reasons.
But new research by The Female Lead and King’s College London has found women are also bearing the brunt of this relatively new concept. In their report, What’s Hiding In Hybrid Work: The Rewards And Risks For Women In Hybrid Work, they warn that, although our new normal of blending office and remote working has numerous benefits when it comes to wellbeing, commute and costs and overall is seen as a positive driver of equality, it has also been creating hidden problems for women, who risk becoming the ‘invisible workers’. These issues include women’s work going unrecognised, women feeling left out of key decisions at work, a diminishing social status and women hitting what is being termed a ‘hybrid career ceiling’.
Ahdhia Ahmed, 29, who works between the home and office in customer service, says, ‘There was a silent [societal] expectation that even during typical work hours women would manage the majority of household and caring duties while also being productive at work.’
Men seem to have more time to breathe, while women have more to do.
This ‘doubling down’ also gives women less time for small talk and socialising, while men maintain side-chats and social activity groups alongside work screen time, according to the report. ‘Men seem to thrive and have more chance to “breathe” and collaborate, like they would on a sports field,’ says Maeve Arden- Carr, 42, who works hybrid in financial services. ‘Women remain burdened with a disproportionate amount of “more to do” with less flexibility.’
This means an increased chance of burnout. ‘Hybrid has increased the expectation that I can do everything – sometimes I burn out from that,’ she adds. Ahdhia agrees: like most women, she feels she’s had to work harder to be visible than her male colleagues. ‘When we moved to working from home, I felt that for me to continue building a career, I had to prove I was online and working constantly,’ she says. ‘I had to be the first to reply in the chats, I volunteered for everything and I was always available. If I took a break, I took my phone with me, where I anxiously waited for Teams or WhatsApp notifications and hurried to reply.’
But far from arguing for a return to the office full-time, the report’s experts propose solutions to make hybrid working more inclusive, such as more manager support and employers creating more transparent communities. Indeed, Ahdhia has progressed due to ‘an amazing manager who saw the signs [of pressure] and intervened’. By sounding the alarm early, The Female Lead founder Edwina Dunn believes the report can help to ‘shape a more balanced hybrid policy and so protect a healthy and engaged workforce’. ‘We need to understand there is a divide between the male and female experience, and recognise there are hidden risks for women who are hybrid working,’ Ahdhia adds. ‘Responsible employers can then take steps to mitigate these risks.’