Issues that have been heightened by the pandemic are causing women to leave the workforce en masse. Finding balance between parental duties and work responsibilities has become nearly impossible for many.
For instance, according to the National Women’s Law Center, four times more women dropped out of the workforce than men in September. Additionally, a study by McKinsey found that one in four women have expressed reevaluating their careers or leaving the workforce altogether.
This major challenge is being amplified by the fact that several businesses do not have the proper protocol or policies in place that support alternative work arrangements, particularly for working mothers.
However, now that many business leaders have warmed up to the idea of remote working positions, women may have more opportunities for them in the near future.
“You’d think that working from home would be better for caretakers, but many also need the physical space to separate and concentrate,” said Gabrielle Harvey, VP, brokerage, Integrated Portfolio Solutions at JLL. “The actual utilization rate in office space pre-COVID-19 averaged 60%, according to JLL’s occupancy benchmarking guide. While the pandemic has obviously created many challenges, in this case, it’s actually giving companies some breathing room to make changes that will help them retain and attract women.”
A report from Colliers predicts that a new generation of flexible workspace offerings will become the norm. In fact, the firm anticipates that flex space could double or triple in the next five years.
