Having employees physically present in the office provides businesses and their staff numerous benefits, including enhanced team collaboration and informal mentorship opportunities. However, as organisations increasingly urge employees to return to office settings, it’s crucial to acknowledge the unique challenges this poses for women, particularly in terms of heightened exposure to gender discrimination. This is highlighted in a recent study by the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

The study, led by Laura Doering, an associate professor of strategic management, and András Tilcsik, a professor and the Canada Research Chair in Strategy, Organizations, and Society, surveyed over 1,000 professional women engaged in hybrid work roles. The findings revealed that these women consistently faced less gender discrimination during remote work interactions compared to those occurring in person.
The discrepancy in experiences was noticeable and significant; 31% of respondents reported gender discrimination while in the office, in contrast to 17% who experienced it when working from home. Further statistical analysis by the researchers accentuated this gap, particularly among women who predominantly worked with men. In such environments, the likelihood of encountering gender discrimination on-site soared to 58%, compared to just 26% remotely.

The study also shed light on age-related differences in experiences of gender discrimination. Women under the age of 30 reported higher rates of discrimination in the office—31% compared to 26% among older women—with only 14% of the younger cohort experiencing it in remote settings.

Professor Doering pointed out the rarity and consistency of these findings across various work conditions and demographic segments. Women aged between 18 and 75 were asked to describe their experiences at work, focusing on eleven different types of gender-based slights and offences. These ranged from receiving inappropriate attention to having their ideas overlooked or appropriated, being assigned irrelevant tasks, exclusion by colleagues, and being addressed disrespectfully during meetings.

Given the uniformity in responses, the researchers concluded that remote work acts as a protective barrier and a haven against the pervasive issue of gender discrimination for many women. They suggest that the prevalent gender discrimination in physical workspaces could deteriorate women’s job satisfaction and increase burnout rates, potentially complicating efforts to retain talented employees and negatively impacting team dynamics over time.

However, it’s important to note that while the findings advocate for retaining remote work options to mitigate gender discrimination, they do not propose it as a definitive solution. Professor Doering emphasised the need for a deeper exploration into the root causes of gender discrimination and urged managers to address these underlying issues directly rather than relegating women to remote roles as a mere workaround. This research casts light on the protective effects of remote work. It underscores leaders’ need to actively combat workplace biases and create a more inclusive and equitable work environment.

More information: Laura Doering et al, Location Matters: Everyday Gender Discrimination in Remote and On-site Work, Organization Science. DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2022.16949

Journal information: Organization Science Provided by University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management