# How has hybrid working impacted the gender gap? Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-04-08 Category: BUSINESS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business Meta Title: How Hybrid Working Impacts Gender Imbalance in Pay and Meta Description: Discover how gender bias in hybrid working is impacting women's wellbeing and career progression. Learn how companies can create a more inclusive culture. URL: https://financedigest.com/how-has-hybrid-working-impacted-the-gender-gaphtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/graphicstock-business-team-1736815890838-compressed.jpg) _By Julie Chakraverty, CEO and Founder, Rungway_ The switch to hybrid working has [impacted our wellbeing in unexpected ways](https://www.financedigest.com/3-impactful-ways-that-leaders-can-contribute-to-the-independent-development-of-their-employees.html "3 Impactful Ways that Leaders Can Contribute to the Independent Development of Their Employees"). One prominent issue that has been exacerbated is the imbalance between genders – not only in pay but in the [wellbeing support](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-manage-burnout-and-how-leaders-should-support-employee-wellbeing-tom-keya.html "How to manage burnout and how leaders should support employee wellbeing | Tom Keya") received in the workplace. With more women choosing the hybrid working model, the concern is whether this could present more [opportunities for existing bias to harm women and create new barriers](https://www.financedigest.com/the-vc-opportunity-breaking-down-barriers-for-private-investors.html "The VC opportunity: breaking down barriers for private investors ") for progression. Hybrid workers have [a 50% lower](https://hbr.org/2021/05/dont-let-employees-pick-their-wfh-days) rate of promotion than those working in the office. Companies must [work diligently to solve this imbalance if they hope to cultivate a positive](https://www.financedigest.com/7-tips-for-building-a-positive-remote-work-culture.html "7 tips for building a positive remote work culture") employee experience and retain the best talent. The gender pay gap is already one that has been noted, even before the pandemic, with UK employers [legally required](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/gender-pay-gap-reporting) to report on the gender pay gap for companies with more than 250 employees beginning in 2017. While this is a step in the right direction, we still have a huge problem when it comes to securing pay parity between [women and men](https://www.financedigest.com/bloom-uk-launches-fourth-annual-co-mentoring-scheme-the-exchange-for-senior-and-c-suite-men-and-women.html "Bloom UK launches fourth annual co-mentoring scheme, The Exchange, for senior and C-suite men and women"). In the financial services sector in 2021, the gender pay gap between women and men was [26.5%](https://www.statista.com/statistics/824090/mean-gender-pay-gap-finance-and-insurance-uk/#:~:text=As%20of%202021%2C%20the%20mean,more%20than%20a%20female%20employee.) – meaning that on average male employees earned significantly more than female employees who worked in finance last year. At present, we typically [see women](https://www.financedigest.com/like-father-like-son-when-it-comes-to-money-men-more-likely-than-women-to-see-parents-as-a-good-role-model.html "Like father like son? When it comes to money, men more likely than women to see parents as a good role model") being promoted on their prior performance, whereas men can be promoted more easily based on their potential. Often, this occurs as a result of unconscious biases, and the only [way to change it is to begin at the top](https://www.financedigest.com/5-top-ways-to-buy-ethereum.html "5 Top Ways to Buy Ethereum"). This starts with being aware, and making an effort to truly understand the [challenges your employees](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-deal-with-challenging-employees.html "How to Deal With Challenging Employees?") face on a daily basis. [Data from the Rungway platform reveals](https://www.financedigest.com/new-data-reveals-long-take-worlds-top-authors-earn-salary.html "New Data Reveals How Long It Would Take The World’s Top Authors To Earn Your Salary") some stark differences when it comes to the help women and men seek. Women are 30% more likely than male colleagues to request support about personal challenges ( [doubling to 60%](https://www.financedigest.com/permitted-share-of-chinas-yuan-in-russian-wealth-fund-doubled-to-60-finance-minister.html "Permitted share of China’s yuan in Russian wealth fund doubled to 60% -Finance Minister") more in financial services), suggesting that women’s needs must be explicitly addressed in the overall culture of the organisation in order for everyone to flourish. Additionally, [hybrid working](https://www.financedigest.com/how-collaboration-technologies-are-helping-organisations-to-embrace-a-hybrid-working-model.html "How collaboration technologies are helping organisations to embrace a hybrid working model") has changed the performance review and appraisal process differently for men and women. When [asked if they had received a performance appraisal during the pandemic](https://www.financedigest.com/three-questions-finance-leaders-should-be-asking-themselves-during-the-pandemic.html "Three questions finance leaders should be asking themselves during the pandemic"), a significant percentage of women said they were “not sure”, while no male colleagues gave this reply. This could be because some [managers don’t feel comfortable taking a formal approach to women’s performance conversations outside of the office](https://www.financedigest.com/managing-the-hidden-security-gap-in-financial-services-the-office-printer.html "MANAGING THE HIDDEN SECURITY GAP IN FINANCIAL SERVICES: THE OFFICE PRINTER") environment, or perhaps that women are holding back asking for feedback. Ambiguity over appraisals, though, will directly inhibit our ability to [drive our career forward](https://www.financedigest.com/how-cloud-is-driving-forward-implementation-of-zero-trust-security.html "How Cloud is Driving Forward Implementation of Zero Trust Security"). So, we know the [gender gap remains a prominent issue in most workplaces](https://www.financedigest.com/norway-wealth-fund-employee-sues-for-workplace-gender-discrimination.html "Norway wealth fund employee sues for workplace gender discrimination") – but how can we fix it? In order to [work towards balance](https://www.financedigest.com/homehunters-balance-life-and-work-at-carriage-court.html "Homehunters balance life and work at Carriage Court"), we must factor in the lived experience of our employees, to help them thrive and recognise their worth. The only way to achieve this is by instilling [cultural change](https://www.financedigest.com/business-is-changing-is-your-culture-changing-with-it.html "Business is changing – is your culture changing with it?") and ensuring that everyone’s voices are heard equally, regardless of career level or background. I can base this assertion off my [own experiences working in a male dominated field](https://www.financedigest.com/love-living-and-working-at-lavender-fields.html "Love living and working at Lavender fields"). As a young woman [working in investment banking](https://www.financedigest.com/boes-bailey-says-bank-reforms-worked-but-questions-about-liquidity-buffers.html "BoE’s Bailey says bank reforms worked but questions about liquidity buffers") back in the 1990s, I noticed there was a prominent ‘laugh or leave’ culture where lewd comments and inappropriate behaviour from a minority were generally tolerated by the majority. This made it difficult for those who looked or sounded different to raise their hand to challenge the status quo or [seek advice](https://www.financedigest.com/some-credit-suisse-at1-bondholders-seek-legal-advice-law-firms.html "Some Credit Suisse AT1 bondholders seek legal advice -law firms"). Many years later I decided to [launch an employee listening platform](https://www.financedigest.com/fime-launches-the-next-generationof-its-emv-level-3-test-platform.html "FIME launches the next generationof its EMV Level 3 test platform"), Rungway, to try and make the employee experience more equal. [Business leaders](https://www.financedigest.com/how-leaders-can-develop-their-business-intuition.html "How Leaders Can Develop Their Business Intuition") like to believe that any question can be asked without fear of consequences – but this is simply not the case. Rungway data shows that gender, race, seniority, and many other factors differentiate our confidence in the workplace, suggesting our own [lived experience is the biggest determinant of our attitudes at work](https://www.financedigest.com/homebuyers-live-work-and-play-at-neo-stepney.html "Homebuyers live, work and play at NEO, Stepney"). All employees should be empowered to ask questions anonymously without fear of judgment or other repercussions – especially in a [hybrid working environment](https://www.financedigest.com/quest-gains-momentum-as-growth-of-devops-open-source-and-hybrid-database-environments-fuels-adoption-of-modern-database-management-solutions.html "Quest Gains Momentum as Growth of DevOps, Open Source and Hybrid Database Environments Fuels Adoption of Modern Database Management Solutions") where individuals have fewer opportunities to speak up. 60% of all Rungway questions have been asked by women, even though women usually make up less than half of the workforce in the [companies we work](https://www.financedigest.com/spain-offers-to-pay-companies-testing-a-4-day-work-week.html "Spain offers to pay companies testing a 4-day work week") with. That statistic is really important to me, because it shows that we are making an impact by providing dedicated space where every voice can be heard. Organisations should implement broad processes to inspire a [cultural shift](https://www.financedigest.com/how-banks-can-prioritise-the-connected-consumer-in-light-of-shifting-cultural-norms.html "How Banks Can Prioritise the Connected Consumer in Light of Shifting Cultural Norms") in how women are viewed, and treated, in the workplace. It’s [time for leaders to be much more radical in their approach](https://www.financedigest.com/anti-money-laundering-time-to-take-a-new-approach.html "ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING: TIME TO TAKE A NEW APPROACH?") to career development if they hope to ensure a positive experience for all. --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---