British women thrive under remote work

Copyright © HT Digital Streams Limit all rights reserved. Economist, The Economist 1 Min Read May 16, 2025, 02:27 PM Ist People in an ice cream sale kiosk in St. James’s Park, in London, (AP) Summary, but rather than returning to the office, some have a ‘work’, an initiative in the country’s largest building society. In 2021, CEO Joe Garner ruled that staff could work wherever they wanted. In 2023, Debbie Crosbie, his successor and the first female boss of Nationwide, changed. Too little time with colleagues will damage women’s careers, she said. Still, flexibility seems to have helped rather than hinder women – especially professional women. The part of women in finance and insurance working full -time increased from 75% in 2019 to 83% in 2023, finds Public First, a research firm; The rate for mothers in finance has risen by more than ten points. In general, the part of mothers in work reached a record of 79% in 2023. In America, Australia and Canada mothers of young children, they also had an increase in female employment figures. Women were even more likely than men to be poor quality jobs and less likely to become company bosses. Those who start their careers from the office missed important mentoring. But taking out long shuttles made it easier to manage work and family life. Now bosses want people to be back in. Half of the Britain companies require staff to be in the office at least four days a week, according to the Virgin Media O2 Business Movers Index, which asked 2,000 bosses in 2024. Old attitudes come up again. Alan Sugar, star of the British version of “The Apprentice”, growls that British should “get their bums back in the office”. Many women have chosen not to do so. The employment rate for women with dependent children dropped from its peak while men stayed flat (see map). At the end of 2023, the difficulty of juggling and childcare pushed almost 250,000 mothers out of work, says the Fawcett Society, a charity. Last year, Engineeringuk, a trading body, reported a “worrying rise” in women between 35-44 years leaving the industry. Female police officers and teachers also stop. On nationwide, Ms. Crosbie points out that Office Life makes women feel energetic. Just as well: the commute can drain differently. For more knowledgeable analysis of the biggest stories in Britain, you report to Blighty, our weekly newsletter that is only subscriber. Catch all the business news, market news, news reports and latest news updates on Live Mint. Download the Mint News app to get daily market updates. More Topics #Work of Home Mint Specials