Why return to office policies fail women

"Amid soaring childcare bills as firms demand workers return to the office, 30% of mothers and 17% of fathers reporting challenges in finding flexible work hours, while 34% of mothers and 22% of fathers felt their career progression had been hindered by childcare responsibilities." Work just doesn't work for everybody. Extortionate childcare costs coupled with a lack of flexible working means that many parents, mostly mothers, are forced to leave their jobs. I did a workshop recently for a big company in the finance industry. One attendee, a PA to a senior leader, was in tears as she said that, after working flexibly for 3 years, the new company policy mandated her to be in the office for 5 days per week. She has 2 young kids that she picked up from school. She had no family nearby to help out. She wouldn't be able to afford childcare provision for 5 days per week. And her kids were upset that they wouldn't be able to see her after school. She didnt know how she would manage. She broke down from the stress. Employers, think about how mandating staff back to the office is effecting working parents. Yes, there are benefits to being around each other, hybrid working is not a bad thing. But the mandating of four or more days in the office is almost always unnecessary. We need: 💡All jobs, where absolutely possible, to be fully flexible by default 💡Workplace cultures that suppport all parents to 'parent out loud' 💡Enhanced paternity leave to support dads being equal parents from day one and share childcare responsibilities 💡Further subsidised childcare from the Government 💡Fairly paid jobs, in-line with inflation and the cost of living It's an investment into society. Supporting parents to live a life of purpose, to be there to support their children but also contribute to the Labour Market is fundamental to a well rounded, safe and thriving society. Well done Fawcett Society for some powerful research 👏🏽👏🏽 #WorkingParents #FlexibleWorking #ChildcareCosts https://lnkd.in/dbNbi25U

I try to be sympathetic, and constructive, I really do. But some things are just no-brainer bad business. I can already hear so many of the finance bros who still lead most of the firms in our industry doubling down on their in-office mandates, clinging to the-way-things-have-always-been-done for dear life, now feeling validated by Amazon’s recent decision to enforce a five-day return to the office. But this makes zero commercial sense in our profession. Not one firm in this country has the luxury of losing talent. Not one firm can afford NOT to invest in their employer brand to attract talent. Not one firm can confidently say that the talent crisis in our industry isn’t already hitting the bottom line – or that it won’t soon. As firm owners we set the tone in the industry for new entrants, and folks wanting to make accounting a career. This tone is not carrying well in the talent market, it is fair to say. As accountants, we love numbers, so here’s a few for you: ➡ 50% of the industry talent pool are women. ➡ The rate at which women are leaving firms, the industry, and the profession is significantly faster than men. ➡ A large proportion of these women are, or will be, parents. When we mandate in-office attendance, accounting firms and organisations like Amzon send loud messages to the talent market: 📣 You will now need to find someone to pick the kids up from school 📣 You will need to spend (waste) more time commuting 📣 You will now have even LESS time with your kids/fur babies/wellness after work 📣 Maybe you should think again before applying to work in this firm 📣 We’re stuck in the past, and you’ll need to adjust – not us All of these things disproportionately impact working women. With these messages, you are actively driving away (at least) half of your talent pool. This isn’t about gender – it’s about basic commerciality. If your managers and ‘leaders’ don’t have the capability to lead and manage in a hybrid environment, then they are simply not equipped to lead today (NB: I did not say 'tomorrow' or 'in the future'). I know investing in leadership capability was not something that was role-modelled to us by the partners-that-should-have-retired-already. But here's today's hot tip - it will cost you far less to do ☝ than what the current talent crisis is already draining from your firm. Get about it. Don't be like Amazon. #accountingandaccountants #HybridWork #Leadership

She was told, “We don’t really need you to contribute, because you haven’t been engaged for the last six months.” That’s what someone said to a friend of mine in a meeting, just a few weeks after returning from maternity leave. It wasn’t said privately. It wasn’t said carefully. It was said out loud, in front of colleagues, during a conversation that had nothing to do with the time she’d been away. She’s been at the company for over a decade. She’s good at her job. And yet—because she took protected time to have a baby—she was publicly diminished, dismissed, and made to feel like she didn’t belong. This comment came from another woman. Because microaggressions don’t just come from men. They come from all of us, when we’ve internalized a system that punishes mothers for doing what it takes to grow their families. This happens all the time, in subtle ways and in glaring ones. Comments about “checking out” while pregnant Eye rolls at pumping breaks Exclusion from projects after returning Jokes about having “baby brain” And yes, being told your voice no longer matters because you took maternity leave. It’s harmful. It’s exhausting. And it sends a message loud and clear: You’re no longer fully one of us. We talk a lot about getting women into leadership, retaining mothers in the workforce, and closing the gender gap. But this is what drives women out. Because if showing up after leave means being sidelined, questioned, or humiliated, what incentive is there to stay? We need to do better. Not just with policies, but with culture. With the way we talk to and about mothers at work. And with the assumptions we make about their value. #maternityleave #motherhoodpenalty

Here’s why it’s so difficult to assess whether your parental leave policy is “hurting” your retention rate: Because 94% of women do return to work after parental leave. Most stay over 12 months. And then - on average - 36% of them leave 18 months after their return. Many companies look just at that initial return to work % and declare success: “We have great retention for new mothers! 94% in fact!” But under the surface? There could be huge problems brewing. Because, of course, most women return to work at first. Most people aren’t in a financial position to just quit. Most women do want to work for pay. Most women can’t possibly handle interviewing while on parental leave taking care of a new child 24/7 (often without a partner also on leave). So they return to work. And maybe they “give it a go” so to speak. Maybe they really do try to make things work. But what happens is this: All of the things that were broken in their roles before become intolerable now that they’re exhausted and stressed. They return to work to find they’ve been frozen in time - their projects stalled, their coworkers got all the high priority work, they missed major growth opportunities. Perhaps they also have a new manager (this happens so often!) who isn’t aware of their prior successes and has no idea about their career goals. A mountain of work is dumped at their feet. So they begin to crumble, slowly but surely. They may decide to keep their head down for 6-12 months. After all - who wants to throw their career up in the air when they’ve just added a new human to their family? Too much change at once. But around that 1-year mark? They’re feeling like themselves again. They realize how capable they are, and they start to truly assess their job. And if they had a negative return to work experience that has this many long-term repercussions? They start to interview. And by 18 months post-return they are gone. So for companies that really want to know if you have a “return to work” problem? Look at your 18 month retention rate for ALL new parents.

80,000 people in Scotland have quit their jobs this year — because of rigid return-to-office mandates. Let that sink in.... We talk about talent shortages, mental health, and gender equity… But many policies still treat flexible working like a luxury — not a necessity. Let’s do some basic maths 👇 In England & Scotland, primary school kids get: 🗓 13 weeks off per year That’s 65 days - not including bank holidays or those surprise INSET days. Compare that with the 25–30 days of annual leave most working parents get. Even if two parents split their leave perfectly (which is rare), you’re still left with 3–5 weeks to fill. Which means: - Paying for childcare (up to £300+ per week per child) - Juggling calendars and favours - Or stepping back from work altogether This is where so many women fall off the career ladder. As a mum of twins? You can double the cost, double the juggle, and double the stress. So when I hear companies enforcing “bums on seats” policies in the name of culture or productivity, I have to ask: Culture for who? Productivity for who? Food for thought. #WorkingParents #HybridWork #FutureOfWork #InclusionMatters

A few weeks ago, I shared the implications of Dell's new RTO policy on workplace equality. It's safe to say y'all are angry 😡 I'm angry too. To recap the policy: 👎 Hybrid workers must be in the office 3+ days per week to be eligible for promotions. 👎 Fully remote workers are ineligible for promotions or job changes. As previously reported, "This new policy on its face appears to be anti-remote, but in practice will be anti-woman." A few female Dell employees reached out to me expressing gratitude for my advocacy, while also sharing their frustrations. Here are some of the personal stories they shared. Many Dell leaders don't support the plan but feel powerless to change it. Rumors suggest a headcount reduction pushed by a Big 4 consultancy firm – from 130K in 2023 to 100K by the end of this year. This RTO policy feels suspiciously like a way to avoid a layoff and severance costs. A top-performing, senior employee relocated during the pandemic. The mandatory in-office requirement translates to a grueling 2+ hour commute (one way) for this single mother. The financial burden of gas and childcare, along with the environmental impact and strain on her family, make returning to the office impossible. Promotions are off the table so her growth discussions are now limited to expanding her current role. This is more than a balance sheet issue. Policies like this have real-life consequences. They hinder women's career advancement and negatively impact their families' well-being. Let's keep these personal narratives at the forefront of our discussions and push for policies that prioritize inclusivity, flexibility, and equality for all employees. 

I had three kids in four years. During those early chapters, I navigated a mix of roles: private equity investor, CFO, founder. I closed deals while nursing newborns, took calls on mute while multi-tasking, and found creative ways to keep showing up at work and at home. None of it was easy, but flexibility made it possible. Each maternity leave was different. Each return to work came with new trade-offs. But what stayed constant was the value of autonomy and being trusted to deliver, whether from the boardroom or my kitchen counter. That’s why I worry when I see blanket return-to-office mandates. The research is clear: these policies disproportionately impact women, especially working mothers. With US birth rates falling and labor force participation still recovering, this is a material, long-term economic issue. Don't get me wrong, I loved being in the mix and in my new role, I’ve already seen how hallway run-ins, spontaneous coffee chats, and in-person energy can spark ideas and open doors that wouldn’t exist on Zoom. There’s real power in proximity. I also know, deeply and personally, that working from home can be a lifeline. The future of work should be about performance, not presence. Impact, not optics. And yes, collaboration matters. So does inclusion. If we want more women in leadership, more diverse boards, and more innovation across sectors, we have to recognize that careers don’t move in straight lines and success doesn’t always wear a suit or commute five days a week. Let’s build workplaces that reflect the messy, beautiful reality of modern life. That means sometimes coming in and sometimes staying home. Back to the office? Or stay remote? Maybe we’re asking the wrong question.