Top female economists warn that working from home can harm women’s careers.
Catherine Mann, who is on the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, said a hybrid form of working could open ‘two tracks’ and widen the gender gap.
The former Citigroup chief economist, John Covid explained that there is a gap in the numbers of women and men returning to work due to difficulty accessing childcare.
It means that men will return more to office, and women can continue to work from home or take a hybrid approach.
‘Virtual platforms are way better than they were even five years ago. But the extemporaneous, spontaneity – those are hard to replicate in a virtual setting,’ she told a Financial News virtual event for women in finance.
Catherine Mann, who is on the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, said a hybrid form of working could open ‘two tracks’ and widen the gender gap.
‘There is the potential for two tracks. There’s the people who are on the virtual track and people who are on a physical track,’ she said.
‘I do worry that we will see those two tracks develop, and we will pretty much know who’s going to be on which track, unfortunately.’
Her comments were echoed by other women who feel that being seen in person helps them to grow their careers, and make themselves known in the workplace.
Since March, national restrictions have been eased. By October, only 15% of respondents were solely working at home. According to the Office for National Statistics.
It comes after Professor Cary Cooper, a psychologist from Alliance Manchester Business School, said: ‘Employers now see that employees don’t have to show face time.
‘The big question we don’t have the answer to is, during this 15-month period, have enough men said to themselves life isn’t just about work. Are they able to prioritize and recognize the importance of family?
Cooper explained to The Guardian that it was problematic for men to accept the invitation to go back to work while the hybrid model is used by women. “Women are likely to work from home more than men, which will impact their professional career.
An imbalance in men and women returning back to work is being caused by difficulties accessing childcare, disruptions to education related to Covid. This was explained by the ex-Citigroup global chief economist (file image).
Joeli Brearly, founder of the charity Pregnant Then Screwed, said those with caring responsibilities will choose to split their time at the office and at home.
She stated that those who decide to work at home may not be as close to their manager and might appear less dedicated to their work.
In June, Michael Gove, Cabinet Office Minister suggested that hybrid models that include home work were likely to be the norm. He added: “We won’t return to the status-quo.”
The pandemic could have an effect on millions of office workers who had been working from home for the past week.