Remote Work: Better or Worse for Women? Pros, Cons, and Tips to Navigate WFH was originally published on Fairygodboss.
You wake up late and immediately panic at the thought of having to get in the shower, do your hair and makeup, and then fight the morning commute just to make it to the office on time. Then you remember—you work remotely—and can simply head downstairs to the kitchen, throw in a coffee pod, and then log on to start your day without ever setting foot in your car. That’s one of the benefits of remote work, but is it always the best option for women?
The state of remote work in 2024
When the country shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, it changed the world in dramatic ways—including the traditional workplace, with millions of people shifting from a daily commute to a home office.
The number of people working remotely more than tripled between 2019 and 2021, rising from roughly nine million to about 28 million workers. During this period, the share of women working remotely increased to 51.3%.
Today, remote work has declined from its pre-pandemic levels, but still, 12.7% of full-time employees worked from home in 2023, and 28.2% followed a hybrid work model. Some experts predict that by 2025, 32.6 million Americans will be working remotely.
But while many companies have settled into a blend of in-office, hybrid, and remote work, women often find that the flexibility and new opportunities these options offer can also challenge both their professional growth and personal emotional balance. This might leave many of us wondering, is remote work better for women—or worse?
We talked to experts about the pros and cons of remote working as a woman, and strategies to help achieve a healthy remote work-life balance.
The pros of remote working for women
From autonomy to advancement, the benefits of working remotely for women professionals are numerous.
Greater flexibility
A recent survey found that women employees are 25% more likely than men to cite remote work as a reason for starting a new job search. Workplace flexibility was a key factor in their decision to accept new jobs post-pandemic. With greater customization of their working conditions, many women find it easier to handle non-work demands, such as childcare or caring for elderly parents.
“There’s no commute. There’s not as much stress on what to wear. Remote work can provide women with a lot more flexibility,” says Lindsey Stanberry, founder of The Purse and author of Money Diaries.
“There’s not the same expectation that you’re tied to a desk all day,” Stanberry says. “Working from home allows for a certain amount of multi-tasking. You can throw in a load of laundry before you hop on a Zoom call. You can answer a few more emails while you wait at your kids’ baseball practice.”
Improved work-life balance
Having greater control over their work environment and the ability to better blend work and life responsibilities can lead to increased job satisfaction, productivity, and work-life balance. According to a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) study, 65% of HR professionals reported that their organization’s remote work policies positively impacted employee morale.
“Remote work allows women to change their shift from the always-losing work-life balance to work-life harmonization,” says Dr. Patti Fletcher, international speaker, award-winning business strategist, and author of Disrupters: Success Strategies From Women Who Break The Mold. “Harmonization prioritizes how we invest our energy and at what level so much so that one activity fuels—or refuels—the next.”
“Remote work supports harmonization by allowing women to prioritize the energy they invest in being fully present in all we do,” she says. “This model not only reduces stress but also enhances overall life happiness, contributing to better job performance and reduced burnout.”
Access to more job opportunities
When women don’t have to commute or relocate for a position that ties them to a physical office, remote work erases that barrier and provides better access to job opportunities that may have previously been logistically unavailable.
Less stereotyping and bias
A recent McKinsey report found that women face fewer microaggressions and have higher levels of psychological safety when working remotely. Communication like email makes gender and appearance less salient, which can minimize workplace discrimination or bias and provide better opportunities for women to be evaluated based on their performance and contributions.
“I also think that digital communication via Slack and email flattens the hierarchy a bit,” Stanberry says. “It’s easier to connect with executives via those platforms, to introduce yourself, pitch yourself for a project, etc., then it can sometimes be when you’re in an office and executives are separated from their employees by offices.”
The cons of remote work for women
Many of the same benefits of remote work for women can be a double-edged sword, limiting job opportunities and work-life balance despite its advantages.
Blurred lines of work and non-work time
“The proliferation of mobile communication devices and social media are transforming work and nonwork relationships,” says Dr. Ellen Ernst Kossek, Basil S. Turner Distinguished Professor of Management at Purdue University’s Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business. “These changes have not only made work more portable, diffusing into more hours of the day, but have also made it easier to work during personal time and space.”
Employees may feel pressured to be constantly available, fearing that otherwise they might not be perceived as career-oriented by their bosses or colleagues.
“Women, especially those with children, find themselves managing more household tasks alongside their professional duties, and so much of this factors into the higher rates of burnout in women,” Dr. Fletcher says. “The challenge is further compounded by the unclear boundaries between work and home life, which often falls more heavily on women, leading to inter-role conflict and feelings of guilt concerning work.”
Limited opportunities for networking and advancement
Because remote workers are less visible to those who could take an interest in their welfare and advancement, working remotely may make it harder to build strong relationships with colleagues and superiors, potentially limiting advancement opportunities.
A recent survey found that 97% of women felt that taking advantage of a flexible working arrangement affects the likelihood of getting promoted.
“The lack of visibility hinders career progression, as remote environments may not always prioritize inclusivity, leading to perceptions of reduced visibility and potential career stagnation,” Dr. Fletcher says.
One of the primary causes of workplace gender gaps is networking hurdles and a lack of having informal interactions with senior leaders—which is made more difficult in a remote environment.
“Proximity bias is a real thing,” Stanberry says. “If some of your colleagues are going into the office, there’s always a risk they’re getting opportunities you don’t even know about because you’re remote.”
Communication challenges and gender bias
When working remotely, all communication is done through emails, calls, or video chats instead of addressing any issues in person. While there is the potential for this to lessen gender bias, the lack of non-verbal cues in email may lead to difficulties interpreting messages and building rapport, while video calls present their own challenges.
Dr. Fletcher says that both female leaders and individual contributors continue to share that they are having trouble feeling “heard” in online meetings. In fact, a recent report found that 45% of women business leaders reported that it’s difficult for women to speak up in virtual meetings, and 20% of women said they had felt ignored or overlooked by their colleagues during video calls.
A survey by the Society of Women Engineers also found that 31% of respondents said they are “getting talked over, interrupted, or ignored more frequently during virtual meetings than those held in person.”
How to deal with WFH as a woman: 5 strategies to improve your work-life balance
If you’re a woman working remotely, there are steps you can take to ensure a balance of personal management and professional development, including:
1. Establish clear boundaries
“I recommend trying to find ways to separate home and work,” Stanberry says. “If possible, set up a desk that’s not your dining table. Create beginning-of-day and end-of-day routines to help you ease in and out of work. Try to put your phone and computer away during evening hours so you can focus on your family. Communication is crucial, but you also shouldn’t feel like you’re being micromanaged.”
2. Advocate for yourself
“Advocating for ourselves during virtual meetings is key,” Dr. Fletcher says. “We have everything we need to ensure our voices are heard, contributing confidently and visibly to discussions to maintain and enhance our professional visibility.”
3. Practice self-care
How to decompress from work when you work from home? Taking time to schedule regular breaks, engage in physical activities, and ensure you have time to unwind from both personal and professional responsibilities is critical for overall health and well-being. (Here are 10 self-care strategies for when you’re strapped for time.)
4. Nurture relationships
“Every business is a relationship business. Every function is a relationship function,” Dr. Fletcher says. “Despite the physical distance, reaching out to colleagues, participating in virtual ‘networking’ and employee resource groups and events, and staying connected can open new doors and opportunities. By nurturing these relationships, women reinforce their career trajectory and support systems in the remote work environment.”
6. Recognize your own working style
“Remote work isn’t for everyone!” Stanberry says. “While a lot of people tout it as a winning solution for working moms, I know lots of women who like to go to the office and find they thrive there. It’s ideally about finding the right work environment for your needs—and feel OK that that might change over time.”
This might also help: Your 9-Step Guide To Making Work From Home Jobs Work For You
