Importance of Workplace Flexibility

I had three kids in four years. During those early chapters, I navigated a mix of roles: private equity investor, CFO, founder. I closed deals while nursing newborns, took calls on mute while multi-tasking, and found creative ways to keep showing up at work and at home. None of it was easy, but flexibility made it possible. Each maternity leave was different. Each return to work came with new trade-offs. But what stayed constant was the value of autonomy and being trusted to deliver, whether from the boardroom or my kitchen counter. That’s why I worry when I see blanket return-to-office mandates. The research is clear: these policies disproportionately impact women, especially working mothers. With US birth rates falling and labor force participation still recovering, this is a material, long-term economic issue. Don't get me wrong, I loved being in the mix and in my new role, I’ve already seen how hallway run-ins, spontaneous coffee chats, and in-person energy can spark ideas and open doors that wouldn’t exist on Zoom. There’s real power in proximity. I also know, deeply and personally, that working from home can be a lifeline. The future of work should be about performance, not presence. Impact, not optics. And yes, collaboration matters. So does inclusion. If we want more women in leadership, more diverse boards, and more innovation across sectors, we have to recognize that careers don’t move in straight lines and success doesn’t always wear a suit or commute five days a week. Let’s build workplaces that reflect the messy, beautiful reality of modern life. That means sometimes coming in and sometimes staying home. Back to the office? Or stay remote? Maybe we’re asking the wrong question.

What happens when return-to-office mandates ignore the data? According to a Barron’s report, JPMorgan Chase’s own internal survey—completed by 90% of its workforce—shows employee sentiment has dropped significantly since the full return-to-office policy began in March. The lowest-scoring areas? 🔻 Work-life balance 🔻 Health and well-being 🔻 Internal mobility While CEO Jamie Dimon remains convinced that the company performs better in person, the workforce is signaling something different—and it’s time we pay attention. Full return-to-office mandates are not only outdated—they're risky. What I see is that all generations are now expecting some level of flexibility, and when leaders dismiss that shift, morale declines and attrition rises. Top talent doesn't just disengage. They start making exit plans. As HR and business leaders, we must do two things: 1️⃣ Reevaluate the ROI of in-office presence. If the goal is collaboration, innovation, or mentorship, then measure those outcomes—not attendance. Proximity without purpose is not strategy. 2️⃣ Design flexibility as a business accelerator, not a perk. Flexibility, when done right, fuels productivity, autonomy, and trust. It's not about letting people off the hook. It's about giving them the tools and conditions to do their best work. Here’s the hard truth: People don’t resist coming to the office. They resist coming back to systems that ignore their lives, their input, and their evolving expectations. How would you react if your company had a RTO mandate? #FutureOfWork #ReturnToOffice #HRLeadership #WorkplaceStrategy #HybridWork #EmployeeExperience #WellbeingAtWork #LIPostingDayJune

17% of workers quit their jobs last year specifically because of changes to working arrangements. This statistic from McKinsey & Company’s latest American Opportunity Survey confirms what many of us have suspected: flexible work isn't just a preference, it's a dealbreaker for talent retention. The new report (link in comments) reveals fascinating insights that build upon research I personally worked on in 2022 (link also in comments); the data are from a survey of almost 10k adults in the US. While that earlier study identified the "tectonic shift" in work patterns, this latest data confirms flexible work has now stabilized as an "entrenched norm" rather than a temporary pandemic response. Three findings particularly stand out in addition to the 17% of quitters one above: 📊 Women prefer remote work 7% more than men, even those WITHOUT children at home. This challenges the assumption that childcare is the primary driver of women's flexibility preferences. 🏢 91% of occupiers are willing to pay a premium for tech-enabled spaces in Class A office buildings. The office isn't dead, but the bad ones might be. 👩💻 The youngest workers (18-25) are the LEAST enthusiastic about remote work (36% vs. 46-59% for older cohorts), yet they face the largest gap between preference and reality (20%). What surprises you most about these findings? And if you're leading a team, how are you addressing the clear gender gap in flexibility preferences vs. reality? Kudos to the authors and my former colleagues Nora Gardner Adrian Kwok Ryan Luby Vaibhav Gujral Nathalie W. Alex Wolkomir Katy Mclaughlin

What's the relationship between company flexibility and revenue growth? For the first time we have an answer. The hottest debate on remote work is about productivity. Some CEOs have been adamant that remote workers aren't productive. Employees feel just as strongly that the opposite is true. Through a Flex Index <> Boston Consulting Group (BCG) collaboration, we analyzed the 3 year revenue growth of 554 public companies between 2020 and 2022. To account for industry differences in high- and low-growth sectors, we then normalized each company's growth rate based on its industry growth rate. What did we find? Companies that are Fully Flexible -- meaning they do not require time in office -- outperformed their peers by 16 percentage points in revenue growth between 2020-2022. Companies that are Structured Hybrid -- meaning they require some time in office, but not full time -- outperformed their Full Time In Office peers by 2x. Why does this matter? Executive teams and board rooms are regularly discussing flexible work policies. Now a CFO can go to a CEO or Board and say: (1) There is no data that public companies offering work location flexibility underperform. In fact, there is data that public companies offering work location flexibility are growing revenue faster than those that do not. (2) Offering work location flexibility enables us to attract more candidates, retain more employees, and drive higher employee engagement. (3) Offering work location flexibility also saves us cost on real estate footprint. That's a powerful argument, and one that will drive more and more companies to adopt work location flexibility over time. Link to the full research: https://lnkd.in/ech_NUG2. And a big thank you to Debbie Lovich, Rosie Sargeant, and the BCG team that we collaborated with on the analysis! #futureofwork #flexibleworking #remotework

Flexible work is a potential boost for more diverse and inclusive workplaces. Four years after being shoved into a giant work-from-home experiment, we no longer presume that 5 days a week, 9-to-5 in the office is where work happens. International Women's Day seems like a good time to remember that we've had data for 3.5 years showing that women more than men, and women with children more than men with children, want flexibility in where and when they work. Ben Casselman, Emma Goldberg and Ella Koeze get into the macro-level impacts in The New York Times: "Parents have been some of the biggest winners in the flexible-work era. Remote flexibility made more feasible the constant juggling of professional and caretaking obligations. But it is mothers, not fathers, who appear to be taking the most advantage of workplace flexibility, whether out of choice or necessity. Among college-educated men, having children does not make much difference to whether they work at home or in person. Among women, it’s a different story. Mothers of young children are much more likely to work remotely than women without children or mothers of older children." It's not just gender and caregiving. There are benefits for every historically under-represented group at work, including workers with disabilities: "For many workers with disabilities, the normalization of remote work has offered an opportunity to avoid energy-draining commutes and offices that are not designed to accommodate their needs." As Lean In research shows, all of these people are just as driven as their in-office counterparts, whether male or female. They just want a level playing field: to be judged on the merits of their work and the outcomes they produce, not just showing up. While you're at it, read Erin Grau's fantastic OpEd, "Flexible Work is Feminist" 🔗 Links to both articles in comments #iwd2024 #internationalwomensday #FutureOfWork #flexiblework #flexibility #remotework #hybridwork #hybrid

All is not well in fully-remote OR fully in-office work. While new Gallup research reveals that fully remote workers are more engaged than even hybrid workers (and fully on-site workers are the least engaged - a slap in the face of RTO), they aren't thriving the most - hybrid workers are. It's perhaps no surprise (to all but some CEO's and managers) that fully on-site workers are thriving the least. Interestingly, hybrid workers experience the most stress (just a hair more than fully remote), and disturbingly, fully remote workers are more likely to experience anger, sadness, and loneliness - by a decent margin. Gallup believes that physical distance can create mental distance and that work becomes "just work" without deeper connections with coworkers that can be more easily formed from spending time together in person. They also think that it's the autonomy that comes with remote work which can create stress and lead to the negative emotions mentioned above. I think these are very interesting findings, and I would like to believe that most companies would take the time to reflect on them and take appropriate action. Here's what I think companies can do: 1. Address the emotional well-being of remote workers with regular check-ins, mental health resources, and virtual social activities to combat isolation. 2. Optimize hybrid work environments by creating create clear boundaries between work and home life, help their workers manage workloads effectively, and ensure hybrid workers aren't overcompensating with longer hours. 3. Explore the advantages of remote work, seek to understand what drives the higher engagement and apply these lessons across all work arrangements. 4. Given that each work arrangement faces different challenges, develop tailored well-being strategies for each work type. A one-size-fits-all approach isn't the way to go. 5. Ensure that remote workers have career development opportunities, opportunities to develop meaningful social connections, and achieve work-life balance to close the thriving gap. 6. For companies that are (or are considering moving to) fully in-office work, reconsider hybrid and/or remote work for the clear benefits. I know - wishful thinking, especially for #6. Here's the full Gallup report: https://lnkd.in/ezQB4K5q #WellBeing #EmployeeEngagement #WorkLifeBalance #FutureOfWork #RTO

I've spoken to 4,000+ companies about remote work since March 2020 Here are the most common things I've heard 👇 1. 🏢 HQ Obliteration: Return to office has stopped, companies have cut back the real estate they could, and will cut a lot more as leases expire. The majority of workers will work remotely at least part-time and the amount will grow 2. ⭐️ Access talent: The first reason they are going remote-first is simple – it lets them hire more talented people. Rather than hiring the best person in a 30-mile radius of the office, they can hire the best person in the world for every role 3. 💰 Cut costs: The second reason is because it makes them more cost-efficient. Rather than spending $10K-$20K per worker a year on office space they can provide a worldclass remote setup for less than $1,000 a year 4. 🌐 Universal problems: doesn’t matter the size of the organization, every company is dealing with the same thing. How do we operate as a global business? Equipping teams and managing assets is a huge pain point 5. 🏭 ESG Considerations: many companies care massively about the environmental impact eradicating the office – and the commute – has. 108 million tons of Co2 less every year. Boards are looking here as well 6. ❤️ Quality of life: companies also know they don’t need workers to waste 2 hours a day commuting to sit in an office chair for 8 hour. Companies have seen reducing commute frequency leads to happier more productive workers 7. 🚀 Outcomes vs. Time: the measure of performance in the office is how much time you spend sat in your seat. The measure of performance while working remotely has to be output. Companies are moving slowly here 8. 🎡 Hybrid Conflict: what companies and workers think hybrid means are two different things. Workers think it is being able to work remotely whenever they want. Companies think it is telling workers when they must attend. Big problem 9. 🛑 Bad Software: companies continue to use software and tooling designed for in-office teams causing issues for distributed workers. New tools developed by remote-native startups are emerging but not being adopted fast enough 10. 🔐 Tech & Security: in the old world the edge from a security perspective was the office, now it's every device. This creates big security risk and vulnerabilities as devices are lost. Companies lack good solutions

I’ve talked to LOTS of caregivers and almost every single one has said that the most important thing to ensure their success is flexibility. Flexibility of where and how they work is the most important factor in their ability to perform at high levels. But what does flexibility mean? Ultimately, it means that you have healthy trust on your team. They trust you to clearly outline objectives and timelines. You trust them to manage the work and pivot in turn. They trust that you will measure outcomes as the key indicator of performance. You trust them to deliver those outcomes. They trust you to impose feasible and reasonable workloads. You trust them to proactively communicate when workloads start to exceed sustainable capacity. Everything else becomes inconsequential – the how, where, and when that contributes to the agreed upon outcomes become open-ended options that can be applied based on need. Flexibility is letting go of the stagnant vision of what work is “supposed” to look like, and focusing on what the work delivers.

Every generation brings a valuable new perspective to the workforce. As leaders, it’s our job to ask, listen and learn from them to create a future of work that works! Gen Z and Millennials have proven they are champions of making real impact. And as a mom to two Gen Z daughters entering the workforce, I’ve taken notice. To them, purpose isn’t just a buzzword. Far from it! So as leaders, how do we adapt to this paradigm shift? For starters, we need to look at *why* purpose-driven work is so important to next-gen talent. Our new Deloitte 2024 Millennial & Gen Z report (read it here 📲 https://deloi.tt/3Xc1uM3) breaks down this shift in workplace expectations and how leaders can best help this next generation thrive. These key findings stood out to me most: 1️⃣ Purpose Powers Satisfaction: Alignment of organizational purpose with personal values is a driving force behind job satisfaction and well-being for 86% of Gen Z and 89% of millennials.     2️⃣ Work/Life Balance Reigns Supreme: Flexibility is a prerequisite, not a perk, and remains the top consideration for both generations when choosing an employer. As leaders, fostering environments that prioritize flexibility is paramount.    3️⃣ Optimism Amidst Challenges: While concerns about the cost of living persist, there’s a glimmer of hope as nearly a third of Gen Z and millennials anticipate improvements in both economic and personal finances over the next year — the highest percentage the survey has seen since before COVID-19.     4️⃣ Taking Mental Health Seriously: Only about half of Gen Zs and millennials rate their mental health positively, and with 30% worrying that their manager would discriminate against them over stress and mental health concerns, there’s room for improvement when it comes to speaking openly about mental health at work.    The next generation is clear about the support and culture they want from the organizations they work for — and it’s up to us as leaders to evolve with the workforce, and make the workplace set up for their success, and with it — the best work possible.   

Companies that have instituted a mandatory return to the office policy are introducing a much greater hardship on the women in their organizations than they realized. While this sounds like an equitable move to make everyone come back to the office, it is anything but, according to a Deloitte Workplace Intelligence survey. “Women are 30% more likely to exit if their remote work options are rescinded.” There are many factors at play relative to this finding. Women tend to be the caregivers in a family and those responsibilities require more flexibility. Women also experience more microaggressions in the office environment which they are partially shielded from when they limit their time in the office. While I do understand why many managers would like to bring everyone back in the office, I would hate to see the many gains in workplace equity and increased representation disappear as organizations try and “get back to normal”. There were so many great lessons learned during the lockdown relative to better ways to communicate, to build teams remotely, to connect people and increase productivity. I would like to see that managers don’t take the easy way out, which is to just require everyone to return to the office. I would like to see managers and organizations consider which roles and which elements of the job require in person interaction and which can benefit from remote working. Two decades ago, I started working from home 2 days/week. It made such a difference to my mental health and my family as my kids were toddlers then. I definitely could not have kept up working full time without that level of flexibility and I didn’t even have the benefit of so many new developments that we experienced during COVID that has made remote work even more sustainable and productive. What do you think? What are the benefits of remote work that you have realized? Has your employer instituted a full time return to the office policy or a hybrid work policy? #returntooffice #equity #diversity #allies https://lnkd.in/gKcpnnNq