By: Dr. Stephanie Diana Eubank DBA 

As organizations continue to implement return-to-office (RTO) mandates, many leaders frame the debate as a question of productivity, culture, and collaboration. Yet the growing body of research suggests that the real impact of mandatory office attendance extends far beyond workspace preferences. For women, caregivers, and families, the loss of workplace flexibility can mean reduced career opportunities, increased stress, and difficult choices between professional advancement and personal responsibilities. 
 
The pandemic demonstrated that knowledge work can be performed effectively from virtually anywhere. Remote work created new opportunities for women to remain engaged in the workforce while balancing caregiving responsibilities that continue to fall disproportionately on them. Research examining workplace inequality warns that return-to-office mandates disproportionately affect women, caregivers, employees with disabilities, and other workers who depend on flexibility to participate fully in the workforce (Kalmanovich-Cohen, 2025). 
 
This concern is reinforced by findings from The Women in the Workplace report, which consistently identifies flexibility as one of the most important workplace factors influencing women’s retention, engagement, and career decisions (McKinsey & Company & LeanIn.Org, 2024). When flexibility is removed, organizations risk losing talented women at every level of leadership. 
 
My doctoral dissertation research produced findings that align closely with this broader literature. Both organizational leaders and employees in non-management roles reported that they would consider leaving their employer if forced to return to the office full time. Importantly, this sentiment was expressed not only by individuals who strongly favored remote work. Participants repeatedly emphasized that flexibility, work-life balance, and the ability to support family responsibilities were the primary drivers of their preferences. The value of remote work was not simply about avoiding a commute; it was about creating sustainable integration between professional and personal responsibilities (Eubank, unpublished dissertation). 
 
These findings challenge a common misconception that remote work appeals only to a small group of employees. Instead, flexibility emerged as a universal workforce concern. Employees recognized that remote work provides greater autonomy in managing caregiving responsibilities, appointments, school schedules, and unexpected family needs. Leaders similarly acknowledged that flexibility improved recruitment, retention, and employee satisfaction. 
 
Research on hybrid and remote work further supports these observations. In Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams, Tsipursky (2021) argues that flexible, hybrid-first models produce stronger outcomes in retention, engagement, productivity, and organizational effectiveness than traditional office-centric approaches. Rather than viewing flexibility as an employee perk, organizations should recognize it as a strategic workforce advantage. 
 
For women, the stakes are particularly high. Decades of research demonstrate that women often perform a disproportionate share of unpaid caregiving and household labor. Remote work can help offset some of these challenges by reducing commute time and increasing scheduling flexibility. As employers revoke remote work options, they may unintentionally recreate barriers that previously pushed talented women out of leadership pipelines. 
 
The future of work should not be defined by where employees sit. It should be defined by outcomes, inclusion, and organizational effectiveness. If employers genuinely want to support women, strengthen families, and build resilient workplaces, flexibility must remain a central component of workforce strategy. The evidence increasingly suggests that remote and hybrid work arrangements are not temporary accommodations. They are critical tools for fostering equity, retention, and long-term organizational success. 
 
Remote work is more than a workplace policy. It is a workforce inclusion strategy. It is a family-support strategy. And for many women, it remains one of the most significant advancements in workplace accessibility and opportunity in recent decades. 
 

References 

Eubank, S. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Research on employee and leadership perceptions of remote work, work-life balance, and return-to-office mandates. 

Kalmanovich-Cohen, H. (2025). Return-to-office mandates and workplace inequality: Implications for industrial-organizational psychology. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 18, 287-293. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2025.10019 

McKinsey & Company, & LeanIn.Org. (2024). Women in the workplace 2024. 

Tsipursky, G. (2021). Returning to the office and leading hybrid and remote teams: A manual on benchmarking to best practices for competitive advantage. Intentional Insights. 

Book Information  
Remote Work Is Here to Stay: Rethinking Operations Management in the Modern Work Era  
Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H5BPJCHJ  

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Also, be sure to check out my first textbook on Operations Management. The book is titled “Remote Work Is Here to Stay: Rethinking Operations Management in the Modern Work Era.” You can purchase the textbook on Amazon at the link below.