Remote work has allowed people to take on jobs they’d never been able to perform under usual circumstances. Is this especially true of women, ethnic minorities, and the disabled? What about carers, and the economically disadvantaged? And if remote work can be said to strengthen diversity – what does the future workplace look like, now that mobility is less of an issue and flexibility is the norm? Let’s take a look at how working from home can help break down career barriers otherwise imposed on women and minority groups.
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Picture an office block in the 1960s. Uniform desks in repeating block rows occupied by equally uniform employees. Water-cooler catch-ups about weekend activities are so similar you would be forgiven for wondering whether the employees were cloned.
Here’s some typical Monday morning conversation.
Ryan: “Roy – what’s up man? What did you do in the weekend?”
Roy: “I saw the Giant’s on Saturday. Man, what a game!”
Ryan: “No way, I went to that game too!”
Roy: “where did you go after?”
Ryan: “Hooters, man.”
Roy: “no waaaaay. Me too! How did we miss each other?!”
Rick (arriving on the scene with his morning coffee): “Hey, guys. Fancy bumping into BOTH of you at Hooters on Saturday. What a night! By the way – did you see the game?”
(A typical Monday morning in a 1960’s office)
How has workplace diversity changed over the past decades?
Needless to say, the average workplace has become less homogenous since the 1960s, with more women and people of diverse ethnic backgrounds entering the workforce. Diversity and inclusivity has steadily improved since the days of Roy, Ryan and Rick. The question is – will the shift to remote working accelerate this positive trend? Facebook recently announced they’ve have met their 2024 diversity targets and heralded remote working as the catalyst. At this point you may be asking yourself – how, and why? Let’s explore the reasons why a more diverse group of people can benefit from the flexibility offered by remote work.
Remote work is here to stay
Whilst much of our way of life has returned to normal post-pandemic, one thing is sticking around: remote work. A recent survey of HR leaders found that just 4% are requiring all of their workers to return to the office 5 days a week. Indeed, employers such as Facebook, Slack, Twitter and Square intent to let their workforce continue to work fully remote for the foreseeable future.
Reflecting this change, jobs are increasingly advertised as ‘remote’ or ‘hybrid’. When you remove factors such as commuting, the pressure to socialize, and workplace-associated expenses – a job can suddenly become a lot more appealing to underrepresented groups such as those who are disabled, have demanding responsibilities outside of work, or cannot afford to live in a area close to the office. If you’re a single parent of a small kid, or struggle with chronic health issues, the fact is that remote work offers incredible convenience. The kind of convenience that could make the difference between a job being realistically doable or not.
Is remote work more inclusive for the disabled?
In the US, 61 million adults have some sort of disability. That is one in four adults. When it comes to adults within working age (21-64 years), 19.4% report themselves as having some form of disability, according to a Census Bureau survey.
For many of these people, the difficulties of commuting to work can be a significant barrier to employment. Wheelchair users, for instance, are faced with public transport systems which are not fully equipped for wheelchair use. This is before they even get into an office, where there is no guarantee that facilities are well-equipped for disabled access. Remove the office from the equation and you remove the need for this daily battle.
But the benefits do not end there. Other benefits include:
- A reduced risk of infection, which can be dangerous for those with immune disorders
- Freedom for people with physical disabilities to work in positions which are more comfortable (lying down, for example)
- The autonomy for disabled persons to choose whether to disclose their disability to colleagues and clients. This will help limit unconscious bias against people with disabilities, held by the majority of people, as indicated by a number of studies.
Interestingly, this preference for flexible working might be reflected in the percentage of disabled workers who are self-employed. Disabled people are more likely to be self-employed than those with no disability.
It is important to note, however, that due to the varied nature of disabilities it is a huge generalization to say remote working benefits people with disabilities. Deaf employees, for example, can experience problems when communicating from a remote location over telecom. In addition, there appears to be no research exploring the preferences of disabled workers. Besides individual stories of disabled people sharing anecdotal experiences about how remote work improved their life quality, there exists little reliable research on the overall impact remote work has had on disabled people.
One possible drawback of remote working for the disabled is increased levels of isolation and loneliness, with research suggesting that disabled persons already experience levels of isolation and loneliness at higher rates than people without disability. On the other hand, people with mental health issues or social anxiety may be thankful for the way in which remote work has given them the space, flexibility and privacy they lacked in a corporate office.
Does remote work offer more opportunities for economically disadvantaged people?
The most expensive cities to live are often also employment hubs. For office-based roles, this subjects workers from under-privilidged backgrounds to ‘location bias’. They can’t afford to live within a reasonable commuting distance of the office. Remote working clearly lessens this issue, as less economically-advantaged workers can apply for remote roles knowing they will not have to commute large distances from affordable living locations to down-town areas.
Whilst remote working has some perks for people from poorer backgrounds, some researchers have pointed out problems with the broader picture, citing that it is high-income earners who are in fact best equipped to reap the benefits. A Canadian study pointed out that only 44% of all jobs can be remote, and they these kinds of jobs tend to be well-paid. Low-income jobs are more likely to appear in the 56% of jobs that can’t be performed remotely.
As high-income workers benefit from the reduced costs of working from home, there’s a risk that the divide between low and high income workers only worsens. Fuel, public transport and food continue to rise in price, and these are daily costs that on-site workers are more likely to be exposed to. Then again, there are other costs associated with working from home that on-site workers don’t have to worry about. Remote workers often have to pay for their own work equipment (whether that be an ergonomic chair of slicker keyboard) and will likely be paying more in energy bills.
Does remote working benefit ethnic minorities?
A recent survey revealed that only 3% of black workers in the US wanted to return offices full-time, compared to 21% of white workers. One reason for this preference could be ‘code-switching’, where black employees adjust their style of speech and behavior based on outdated office norms. Masking behavioral norms in this way is understandably an exhausting exercise. Toning down one’s typical style of expression, sense of humor, dress sense, opinions – even one’s natural hair – is going to take a toll on anyone, but this is most frequently experienced by those pressured to adapt to a ‘white workplace’. Research indicates that performing in this way can hinder employee performance. All in all, it’s clear to see why many ethnic minority workers are happy for the distance remote work places between them, racial stereotypes, and the pressure to act a certain way to be accepted at their workplace.
Parenting while working remotely
You are probably in the minority if you have not experienced a colleague begrudgingly leaving their home office to deal with a screaming child. Chances are that this will be a female colleague. The fact is that women adjust their lives for the sake of family and household work far more than men do. We’ve got a long way to go, feminism.
You might assume that having to raise a child at the same time as working might become problematic, and an unwelcome burden to mothers. According to a recent survey of moms in America, however, this is not the case. A whopping 79% of responding working moms said they preferred remote working, citing the benefits of being able to spend more time with their children. With women more likely to decline career advancements in favor of raising children, the flexibility offered by remote working could increase the proportion of women in senior positions. No longer having to leave work early to prepare their kids’ dinner, and finding time in their lunch break to squeeze in some chores, many moms are finding that remote work was the answer to work-life balance all along.
Remote work has been a blessing for carers
More than one in six American workers are caregivers and 70% report work-related difficulties due to their struggle in balancing their carer responsibilities and their career responsibilities. Caring for others demands spare time and flexibility, with on-site office work offering neither. Remote working enables carers to be in close proximity to their vulnerable relatives while freeing up extra time that they can put toward caring. Indeed, a 2019 report showed that remote workers have 105 more hours of spare time each year.
As it happens, women are more likely to take significant time off work to care for a family member. Carers are also more likely to be low-income. Improved situations for carers, as a result of remote working, increases opportunities for women and poorer workers in tandem.
Why diversity is essential for successful companies
In light of the many ways in which remote work can improve diversity in the workplace, the next question might be: should employers care? How does a business benefit from improving its appeal to women, ethnic minorities, disabled people or people from poorer backgrounds? Morals aside, there are clear business reasons for creating a diverse workforce.
One such positive knock-on is simply profit. An ever-growing number of studies are confirming that socially diverse groups are more innovative and productive than non-diverse groups. A study of 366 public companies highlighted that those in the top quartile for ethnic and racial diversity and management were 15% more likely to have financial returns above the industry medians. Similarly, a study by BCG found that companies which reported above-average diversity on their management teams reported an innovation revenue which was 19% higher than companies with below-average leadership diversity.
Taking the view that people attempt to solve problems through the lens of past experiences and learnings, it is easy to see why this might be the case. When a workforce can contribute different perspectives, cultures and experiences – problem-solving becomes easier and collaboration more creative. Greater diversity is a win-win, which companies should keep in mind when considering their remote work policy.
How can remote work companies strengthen inclusivity from afar?
A strong and inclusive workplace culture is just as important for remote teams as it is for office-based teams. We have plenty of tips on how to strengthen team relationships from afar, as well as a guide on how to show employees flexibility, trust and understanding for better remote productivity and workplace satisfaction. Finally, don’t forget that a tool like tl;dv significantly reduces bias in recruitment by allowing a diverse range of stakeholders to weigh-in on promising candidates, without demanding too much of their time or effort.
