WORK
THE FUTURE 100 213
The shecession saw women worldwide drop out of the workforce in significant numbers; a loss which has not yet been reversed. Now a host of industries,
from financial services to hospitality, are also facing an unprecedented battle for talent. Workplaces that optimize for women will build relevance, not to mention significant competitive advantage. So, one year on, what are workplaces doing to build the shecovery?
The biggest transition, of course, is the shift to flexible working, adopted by
businesses from Spotify to Facebook to American Express. Flexible options are appealing for women juggling work and home life, though some commentators, including Bank of England economist Catherine Mann, have warned of workfrom-home stigma that could ultimately end up costing women if men don’t take up remote work in equal numbers.
Looking ahead, normalizing flexible work options in company culture will be
imperative to mitigate inequity. To that end, British construction firm Multiplex introduced a new formal flexible working policy in October 2021 aimed at
The shecovery
To combat the shecession, global workplaces are stepping up initiatives that optimize the workplace for women.
making its workplace more attractive for women. The Multiplex Flex initiative
