New study: Women are more likely to be penalized for working remotely than men

"The consulting firm McKinsey and women's nonprofit Lean In just released their annual Women in the Workplace report, which examines how gender disparities are impacting womens' career prospects. Unfortunately, this year's results show that companies are backsliding on their commitment to workplace equity-and one way that's harming women is by making it more difficult for them to work remotely. This is the 11th annual Women in the Workplace report, and its results reflect a broader pattern across corporate America:"

"a retreat from inclusive efforts amidst a Trump administration that's gone out of its way to cut back on DEI policies. Per the study, two in 10 companies say they're placing low or no priority on women's career advancement, a figure that rises to three in 10 for women of color. Further, almost one in six companies scaled back on formal sponsorship and discontinued or diminished career development programs with content tailored for women."

""This year, only half of companies are prioritizing women's career advancement, part of a trend in declining commitment to gender diversity," the report reads. One major roadblock to womens' success in the workplace is that, in our modern era of flexible work, women are penalized for choosing to work remotely-despite the fact that, at the same time, they're still expected to shoulder most of the responsibilities in the home."

Companies across corporate America are reducing commitment to gender diversity and rolling back inclusion efforts. Two in ten companies place low or no priority on women's career advancement, rising to three in ten for women of color. Nearly one in six companies scaled back formal sponsorship and cut or diminished career development programs tailored for women. Only half of companies prioritize women's career advancement. Flexible-work stigma penalizes women who work mostly remotely: they are less likely to have sponsors and far less likely to have been promoted in the last two years than women working mostly on-site. Men receive similar sponsorship and promotion outcomes regardless of work location, with 49% of men who worked mostly remotely receiving a promotion in the last two years compared with 37% of women.

Read at Fast Company