In 2020, flexible work will no longer be a “women’s issue”
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When Katie Couric started her career in media, flexible work had a bad rap. Face time at the office with the boss was everything. Colleagues who asked to work out of the office were seen as slackers. She even knew of someone who would keep his lights on in his office late at night to make it seem like they were still working.
As we look ahead to 2020, the world’s best companies will need to fix one thing: That stigma that Couric — and so many other people — used to associate with flexible work.
“Flexibility leads to equality,” Couric shared live on LinkedIn. “With more flexibility for fathers and mothers… that will lead to people not dropping out of the workforce and to more opportunities for both genders.”
Couric was just one of several leaders we spoke with this year who talked about the importance of workplace flexibility. That’s why the rise of flexible work will be one of the top 20 trends we’ll be watching moving into next year. Gone are the days where you need to be in the office from 9 to 5 to be effective. Now an increasing share of the workforce is expecting the flexibility technology gives them in other aspects of their lives to benefit them in the office as well.
In fact, a study by Pew Research Center shows all American workers value flexibility at work just as much as they value paid family leave.
“Aggregate hours worked is important. There's some threshold above which you're just going to be out of whack,” said Harry’s Co-Founder and Co-CEO Andy Katz-Mayfield on Working Together Live earlier this year. “But more important than aggregate hours worked is a feeling of control over your life and your schedule.”
If we can make flexibility a universal practice at work, working women in particular, who historically have taken cuts in pay and promotion for flexible work, stand to benefit. Among women with advanced degrees who left their jobs, 69% would have stayed if their employers offered more flexible work options, according to research from Boston Consulting Group.
“It took me almost a decade of working to realize that the things that I value are autonomy over my time over power. And that was this very important realization for me to make,” said New York Times Gender Editor Jessica Bennett. “You shouldn't have to choose less money.”
How has working flexibly changed throughout your career? Let me know in the comments below using #WorkingTogether.
What’s Working
Pivoting your side hustle. How do you turn your side hustle into your full-time job? It’s a question that comes up a lot on LinkedIn and is one that Clare Paint Founder Nicole Gibbons answered for herself. She was working in public relations at Victoria's Secret when she started her paint company only to quit her job to work on it 24/7. Have questions for Gibbons? Let me know in the comments below. [Join us live here]
Move over, unicorns. After many startups valued at $1 billion in the private markets went for IPO in 2019 only to tank, we’re predicting a new type of founder will emerge next year. Hearken founder and CEO Jennifer Brandel coined these founders zebras, as opposed to the well-known unicorns. Zebras are startups focused on fixing real-world problems by building sustainable and profitable businesses that grow at a manageable pace. Most of them are female or minority founders as well. [LinkedIn Editors]
What Needs Work
Away’s CEO… goes Away. Four days after The Verge published an investigation into luggage startup Away’s seemingly toxic workplace culture, CEO and co-founder Steph Korey has stepped down. She will remain executive chair. More than a year ago, I profiled Korey, who spoke a lot about her decision to keep all employee communication on chat platform Slack. Korey told me that she wanted workplace conversations to be transparent to encourage equal access to information. Away employees don’t use email for any internal communication. But it appears that the lack of private channels led many employees — mostly women — to feel bullied by leaders at work. My takeaway: All forms of communication can be flawed, making multiple channels essential for thriving workplaces. [The Verge]
Intel’s pay gap. The tech company finally released its much anticipated gender pay gap data only to reveal that the chipmaker has a long way to go. Among 52 high-earning top executives, 29 were white men, 11 were Asian men and eight were white women. [LinkedIn Editors]
Who’s Pushing Us Forward
A first in Finland. On Tuesday, Finland’s Sanna Marin became the youngest head of government in the world. What’s even more encouraging: She leads a team headed entirely by women.
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5yAs a young woman I entered the field of radio advertising marketing. I did not have to punch a time ticket any longer. My pay check reflected what work I did and it was solely commission. I almost starved until I learned working smarter, not harder. Now I can actually work at home because I am a home school mom and mother of my very high functioning autistic son. He will be a great success because I took more than a decade to stay at home and do constant therapy and Dr appointments with him. However, I had to start my own insurance business in order to begin earning an income again. I lost years of depositing into a Social Security fund for my twilight years. I lost years of adding to a retirement pension, etc. meanwhile, as he moves into college, I LOVE the flexibility of being near when he needs me and yet have someway to be a productive member in the work force and building my own residual income for that which I lost over those decades at home. Yes on flexibility! It will produce a better America for the generation we are bringing up behind us.