Rethinking Office Mandates: The Gender Bias Challenge

As return-to-office policies gain traction, research highlights the unequal impact on women, who face heightened gender discrimination in traditional office environments. Remote work offers a reprieve, but also limits professional opportunities. Employers must develop nuanced policies balancing in-person and remote work benefits to foster gender equality.

Across North America, major organizations are increasingly mandating a return to traditional office work. Canadian banks, Amazon, and Facebook are at the forefront of this movement, which reverses the remote work norms established during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proponents argue that in-person collaboration fosters innovation and mentorship, but recent research reveals that these mandates disproportionately affect women, who face heightened gender bias in the office. Our study surveyed over 1,000 professional women with hybrid roles, finding that discrimination incidents were notably higher for those on site compared to remote settings.

The study suggests remote work reduces exposure to everyday gender discrimination, particularly for younger women and those in male-dominated fields. Yet, remote work has its drawbacks, potentially limiting crucial informal interactions and career advancement opportunities. Employers must weigh these trade-offs when creating policies to ensure equity and support for women in the workforce.

(With inputs from agencies.)