Winter is coming ...

Winter is coming ...

As further pandemic restrictions loom, Helen Broadbridge considers how a crisis can be a catalyst for change

Lockdown has made working life harder for millions of people. However, unprecedented times can also bring about unprecedented change as the disruption itself sets a precedent for trying something new. This article will look at three positive changes we could all embrace by the end of 2020.

1. Ask for what you need

Lockdown is opening up conversations that may have felt less socially acceptable before. For some, asking for flexibility outside the status quo can feel like a risk of being perceived as less committed. But now that it has been proven beyond doubt that entire organisations can work remotely, workers should be able to broach the subject of flexible hours or avoiding the commute without having to stretch their manager’s imagination. (Note, that I call it “remote working” rather than “working from home” because in my view the latter conjures up images of pyjamas and baking cookies in a way that unfairly detracts from the “work” part.) At last, some key hurdles have been lifted: organisations have invested in remote access, supervisors are learning to adapt to supervising without being in the same room and the less tech-savvy have had the chance to figure out the new systems. The unthinkable is now not only thinkable but mundane. 1

It is not only the workplace that people may benefit from thinking about. At home, the crisis is suddenly making visible the invisible work that many have been doing for years. Research has shown that women tend to do more domestic labour than men. 2,3 Now, if not for the first time then for the first prolonged period, many are getting a front row seat to the challenges of integrating work, housekeeping and childcare. This should encourage reflection, especially as research suggests that what it means to be a “family” in times of crisis is often reduced to emphasise a male breadwinner and a female carer, which is a family make-up that is no longer relevant to many. Moreover, studies of the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath have shown that even when the male partner is unemployed for a prolonged period, and the female partner continues to work full-time, families do not readily change the division of paid and unpaid work. Correspondingly, if women are unemployed, they feel an almost moral obligation to contribute more unpaid work, alongside looking for paid work. I hope that today many families have resisted this trend during the lockdown and have found that a re-division of tasks or turn-taking is worth carrying forward into the future. 4

Lastly, an additional benefit of couples enacting equal partnership in the home is that it helps to adjust gender norms in the workplace. If men start asking for flexibility at work, this normalises the uptake of flexible working policies for the entire workforce. 5 If such policies are only used by women, research has shown that the use of such policies can carry a career penalty. 6,7,8 In addition, equal domestic partnership in families with children sets an example for the next generation, positively shaping the expectations of the future workforce. 9,10

2. Hold yourself to less exhausting standards

Additional demands during lockdown have been challenging for many. In extreme cases, some workers may have been pushed to the point of exhaustion. 11 According to one recent survey, 14% of women and 11% of men have considered quitting their jobs during lockdown. 12 This seemingly endless pressure should encourage workers to stop and reflect.

Management academics have established the concept of the “ideal worker fallacy”. 13 The theory is that the “ideal worker” of yesteryear – someone who enters the workforce in early adulthood and works full-time, with a full-time homemaker to support them – no longer exists in the majority of cases. Nevertheless, the mentality of the ideal worker can be seductive, so workers may wish to ask themselves whether they are holding themselves to sustainable standards to minimise the risk of burnout. 14

If workers find that their standards have slipped from ‘high’ to ‘ideal’, it may be time to re-prioritise. It can help to decide, strategically and at times ruthlessly, which activities we can do less of – not because they are not important per se, but because they are not the closest-aligned to our best and highest goals. Are you volunteering for tasks that do not lead to promotions? Could you get more done by delegating more to support staff?

Do you spend time on the 7th proof-read before sending a draft to your manager? It is hard to resist the attraction of selfsufficiency, but, ultimately, there comes a point of diminishing returns – especially if you consider that progress at work is more a function of strategic relationships and self-promotion than of beavering away on your own. 15

This relaxation should also extend to self-care. People have an amazing ability to talk themselves out of something because they overestimate the amount of time that it will take for that activity to have a meaningful impact on their lives. Instead of taking an activity to the extreme, why not set a much lower target: Instead of having to train five times a week, wouldn’t taking a half-hour walk over lunch once a week also be worthwhile? Instead of meditating for an hour every day, wouldn’t a breathing exercise for two minutes while you brush your teeth still be worth doing? Research suggests that small habits that stick can have a huge impact on physical and mental health over the years – far more than the habits that never materialise at all because we quit before even starting them. 16

3. Be more authentic at work

Some journalists have written about the comfort of the artificiality that comes with office life, arguing that the subterfuge of business dress, formality and unwritten rules are an opportunity to leave our messy home lives at the door and present a better, more together version of ourselves. 17 However, research suggests that we tire faster if we are adjusting our behaviour much of the time. 18 As sharing phone calls with children who are too young to respect a closed door is leading many to admit, it may no longer be realistic to clinically separate the work and non-work sides of our lives. We therefore find ourselves with a golden opportunity to erode this expectation of appearing perfect and available at all times, especially if leaders are willing to buy into this narrative too.

In conclusion, one positive that comes from unprecedented circumstances is the opportunity to initiate unprecedented conversations. Now could be the perfect time to discuss the topics handled in this article – whether that is workers engaging their managers or managers engaging their teams. Such changes could hold untold benefits for organisations. ■

Helen Broadbridge - Member of the Westminster and Holborn Law Society Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and tax solicitor

1. Williams, J. C, 2020, ‘The Pandemic Has Exposed the Fallacy of the “Ideal Worker”’, Harvard Business Review.

2. Hess, C et al., 2020, ‘Providing Unpaid Household and Care Work: Uncovering Inequality’, Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

3. Bianchi, S. M., 2014, ‘Housework: Who Did, Does or Will Do It, and How Much Does It Matter?’, US National Library of Medicine.

4. Bernstein, A & Gallo, A, featuring Hamid Rao, A, 2020, ‘We’re Beyond Stretched’, The Women At Work Podcast.

5. Padavic, I. et al., 2019, ‘Explaining the Persistence of Gender Inequality: The Work-family Narrative as a Social Defence against the 24/7 Work Culture’, Administrative Science Quarterly.

6. Burkus, D, 2017, ‘Everyone Likes Flex Time, but We Punish Women Who Use It’, Harvard Business Review.

7. Ely, R. J. & Padavic, I,, 2020, ‘What’s Really Holding Women Back?’, Harvard Business Review.

8. Correll, S. J. & Benard, S, 2007, ‘Getting a Job: Is There a Motherhood Penalty?’, American Journal of Sociology.

9. Smith, D. G & Johnson, B. W, 2020, ‘Gender Equity Starts in the Home’, Harvard Business Review; Croft, A et al., 2014, ‘The Second Shift Reflected in the Second Generation: Do Parents’ Gender Roles at Home Predict Children’s Aspirations?’, Psychological Science.

10. Croft, A et al., 2014, ‘The Second Shift Reflected in the Second Generation’, Psychological Science.

11. Markuson, D, (NordVPN Team), 2020, ‘U.S. Employees Working More Hours During Covid-19 Pandemic’, Business Facilities.

12. Hinchliffe, E, 2020 ‘14% of women considered quitting their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic’, Fortune Magazine.

13. Williams, J. C, 2020, ‘The Pandemic Has Exposed the Fallacy of the “Ideal Worker”’, Harvard Business Review.

14. Maslach, C & Leiter, M. P., 2016, ‘Understanding the burnout experience’, World Psychiatry.

15. Bernstein, A & Gallo, A, featuring Dufu, T, 2018, ‘The Advice We Get and Give’, The Women At Work Podcast.

16. Bernstein, A & Gallo, A, featuring Whillans, A. V, 2020, Times. ‘Making the Most of this Mess’, The Women At Work Podcast.

17. Kellaway, L, 2020, ‘We will miss the office if it dies’, Financial Times.

18. Edmondson, A, 2019, ‘The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace’’, Wiley.