Why Any Return to Office (RTO) Plans Must Center Women’s Joy and Needs

As we kick off Women’s History Month, after celebrating Black History Month, it is important that we recognize that over 181,000 Black women left the workforce in the last quarter of 2021. As we remain focused on the Great Resignation, and companies are ramping up their return to office (RTO) plans, the exodus of Black women, and women in general, from the labor force should be a greater cause for concern than it currently is.  Women’s participation rate according to the January jobs report was 57%, the lowest it has been since 1988.

It is obvious that the workplace is failing women, and therefore, any RTO plans must center women’s joy and needs. It is not enough to identify the problem. There needs to be transformative change in addressing the concerns of women, to make the workplace more welcoming.  So how can companies develop a better workplace environment for women? Here are some recommendations:

1)   Invest more resources on subsidized childcare – one of the primary reasons for women leaving the labor force is due to the lack of appropriate childcare options. The U.S. is one of the wealthiest nations to lack adequate caregiving infrastructure, leaving employers to play a major role in providing resources for childcare or eldercare. Since the bulk of domestic labor falls to women, if return to office plans do not include robust childcare resources, companies will continue to be unable to retain women.

2) Create a safer environment by enforcing robust sexual harassment, bullying, and anti-pregnancy discrimination policies - women do not want to return to an office that is hostile to their needs and that allows toxic bosses to mistreat them. Invest in more training of managers to ensure that discriminatory practices, bullying, and sexual harassment no longer plague the workplace, in ways that harm women consistently. Have ZERO tolerance for such behavior, in order to increase women's sense of safety.

3) Develop an emotional reboarding plan - emotional reboarding means helping returning employees adjust emotionally to the transition back to the office. Many employees are dealing with a high degree of anxiety related to return to office, and companies must build space for their concerns to be explored. Take the time to ask your employees what they need to make their return as smooth as possible, provide more mental health resources, have numerous town halls/meet up discussions, and create an environment that focuses on self-care. The old way of doing things is gone, so employers must adapt to more hybrid models, and give up the command & control approach to work, to be more collaborative with their workforce.

4) Provide more training and coaching to managers to improve the workplace experience of women, especially Black women, including reducing micro-aggressions towards them - I often cite the incredible statistic that only 3% of Black employees want to return to the office full time, with many employees citing the desire to not have to deal with micro-aggressions in the office as the primary reason. Black women especially have suffered from poor treatment in the office setting. For instance, they are less likely to say their managers support them, most likely to experience workplace micro-aggressions and harassment, and are promoted more slowly. Therefore, companies should provide more diversity, equity, and inclusion training and coaching to reduce gender and racial micro-aggressions & to disrupt implicit bias, including racial & gender, especially by managers toward women.

5) Prioritize joy as a goal in supporting women's return to office - joy is definitely not a common goal for many companies when thinking about enhancing the employee experience. However, the pandemic has taken away so much from all of us, especially our joy, so it is even more critical to regain some of it as we return to the office. How do we quantify or qualify joy? While it may feel difficult to do so, and senior leaders may feel it is not their responsibility to address it, it is imperative to make it a priority, as many employees feel burned out, disengaged, and constantly think about quitting. One key strategy to increase joy is to reduce workloads in order to decrease burnout. Although it may seem counterintuitive, by reducing workloads AND hours, you will have more productive and motivated workers. You should also discuss with your employees their concepts of joy. Is it having more team outings? Is it being given free tickets to cultural events? Is it having more lunchtime gatherings with different food options? Is it having more quiet places to reflect and recharge? Or is it being able to take more extended vacations without being tied to their phones? It can vary, but it is essential that it be investigated to meet your team members' unique needs.

As more companies launch their return to office plans, taking into consideration the needs of their women employees, and bringing joy to them in the process, will be critical to ensuring a safe, smooth, and healthy transition.

How do you recommend centering women's joy and needs in return to office planning?  

If you are interested in helping your company to better support women, sign up for a phone consultation.

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The Joy and Justice newsletter is a monthly LinkedIn newsletter focused on exploring issues related to leadership, diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racist practice, most specifically how to bring joy to work, while ensuring workplace justice.  The newsletter is produced by Richard Orbé-Austin, PhD who is a psychologist, executive coach, DEI consultant, speaker, and author.  Dr.  Orbé-Austin is the co-author of  Own Your Greatness: Overcome Impostor Syndrome, Beat Self-Doubt, and Succeed in Life, the acclaimed book which provides a clear formula for defeating impostor syndrome.  His next book, which will be released in fall 2022, will focus on how to transform toxic workplaces into healthier environments, where everyone can thrive and succeed, by identifying key strategies for leaders & employees to implement for workplace joy & justice.  If you are seeking to transform your workplace into a more joyful and just environment, visit his website to learn more about the services which may suit your individual and organizational needs.   If you feel this newsletter has value, please feel free to share it with others who may also enjoy it.  If you want to learn more about impostor syndrome or leadership, visit Dr. Orbé-Austin's blog page.