As employers begin mandating a return to the office, it’s important they consider how remote working has improved the employee experience for workers who are from typically marginalized groups.
A 2022 survey of U.S. employees by Future Forum found remote working led to increases in Black knowledge workers’ employee experience scores. Compared to the previous year, Black employees reported a greater sense of belonging at work (up 24 per cent), higher value of relationships with co-workers (up 17 per cent) and a stronger perception of feeling fairly treated (up 21 per cent). It also found 81 per cent of Black respondents said they prefer a hybrid or fully remote working arrangement.
Read: Survey finds Black Canadians report high levels of racism despite workplace improvements
Remote working also holds many benefits for people who identify as neurodiverse. According to Specialisterne Canada Inc., remote working allows neurodiverse employees — particularly those who are autistic or who suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder — to focus on tasks with fewer distractions and interruptions and they experience less pressure to socialize and freedom to be their authentic selves, including the ability to use sensory aids or create their own sensory environment.
Additionally, remote working can greatly improve the employee experience for women. A 2024 report by McKinsey & Co. found women represent roughly a quarter of C-suite leaders in North America, with the percentage dropping to just one in 16 for women of colour. With women accounting for just a slice of the C-suite, it’s no wonder their health and well-being needs can typically go overlooked in the office at every stage of life, including menstrual, family and menopausal supports. Women’s health issues can adversely affect women’s careers, leading to setbacks or the need for them to walk away from the workplace.
Read: How employers can support neurodiverse employees
In 2023, federally regulated workplaces were expected to begin offering free menstrual products to workers. Some employers in the private sector have also decided to make menstrual products free in their workplaces. Many also provide support through time-off policies, covering hormone replacement therapy and counselling for women experiencing menopause or childcare subsidies for working parents. These are all vital supports, but not all employers can afford to provide these options.
An equitable solution would be to allow, depending on the role, employees to choose to work from home when needed — for women, that means choosing to work from home when they’re experiencing symptoms related to menstruation or menopause. For caregivers, it means being able to work from home when schools are closed for professional activity days or when they have to fit in time in their day to attend or take a family member to appointments.
If employers provided all employees the ability to choose when and where they work, it would increase productivity and be a much greater step towards equality in the workforce.