Debbie Crosby, chief executive of the National Building Society, has warned that women who regularly work from home could miss out on promotion opportunities due to their lower personal visibility.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Crosby said that more women than men have chosen flexible working in the post-pandemic era – often due to childcare responsibilities – and that reduced office attendance could hamper professional growth.
Crosby explained that “development observation” — the opportunity to observe and learn from senior leaders up close — was integral to her rise through the ranks. “Men come to offices more than women, and we have to be very careful not to prevent women from accessing this vital learning,” she said. Nationwide introduced a “work from anywhere” policy for staff outside branches during the pandemic, but has since tightened the requirement to at least two days a week in the office.
Recalling her early career under Lyn Peacock at Clydesdale Bank, Crosbie noted how seeing an “inspirational female CEO” deal with challenges helped her develop. She also credited her decision to have a child at the age of 32 for giving her resilience at pivotal moments in her career. “Many women are now having children later – in their late 30s – precisely when they are often in more senior positions,” she added.
Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that 28% of the UK workforce is now hybrid working (dividing their time between home and the workplace), with 13% remaining fully remote. Among working parents, this number rises to 35%, with fathers preferring the hybrid style more than mothers. Meanwhile, 44% of UK workers still commute to the same workplace five days a week.