As more companies adopt a hybrid working model for their employees, women are seeing more benefits than men.
Research from employee benefits platform Perkbox found 61% of women feel freer to be themselves when working remotely.
Women appeared to be the biggest beneficiaries, as only 51% of men surveyed expressed the same feeling.
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Mona Akiki, chief people officer at Perkbox, said a hybrid working system allows women to speak more freely about their priorities outside of work.
Speaking to HR magazine, she said: “For women who have typically shouldered the lion’s share of caring responsibilities, this shift in attitudes to working has given them greater confidence to talk about, and advocate for, the different priorities in their lives.
“They’re now often being met by an organisation that is better able to support them in balancing these, from any location. This naturally creates a more inclusive, location-agnostic culture that empowers everyone to be themselves and thrive in their roles.”
Of the employees surveyed, 55% said that hybrid working had led to more diverse and inclusive work environments, while 54% reported a better work/life balance.
Yet 53% reported feeling isolated as hybrid working made it harder to make friends remotely.
Akiki added that HR departments should work towards creating a consistent employee experience in order to maintain such levels of satisfaction.
“HR and business leaders must now build on this by delivering a consistent employee experience for their people in all locations and countries,” she said.
This can happen through offering a varied and agile rewards and benefits programme that gives employees around the world freedom to choose the support that works best for them.
“Doing so will help businesses to create a unified culture that welcomes the diversity of its people and is responsive to their varying needs.”
