How remote work can be a practical bridge for the gender pay gap

Much has been written about the flexible and remote work revolution and its effects on women. At the start of the pandemic, working mothers seemed to finally get the work arrangement many yearned for: remote or hybrid roles with the flexibility they needed to manage work and home life. 

Two years in, remote work has become table stakes—not just for parents but for millennial and Gen Z workers—and it has reignited the debate around whether remote work is really good for women.

As a recruiter for a mission-driven firm that specializes in placing working mothers in roles that fit their work-life balance, I see things a little differently. There’s an often overlooked segment of the population whose earning power has been dramatically enhanced by the remote work revolution. 

When we started MomUp in 2019, I had two types of clients coming to me: women who were working demanding, full-time (or more) roles and wanted something more flexible or with fewer hours so they could manage work and home, and women who’d been at home and wanted to get back to work—but in something that didn’t require a full-time, in-office commitment.

Less than three years ago, those roles were hard to find. They also usually required women to take a pay cut to move into them. Many of the moms I know were able to get full-time productivity into part-time hours, making them highly valuable (and a bargain) for their employers.

In the past year, as things have returned to normal and parents have become more secure in childcare, I’ve noticed a shift. Moms who would once come to me looking for part-time roles are now seeking full-time positions—as long as they’re remote and flexible—and the full-time salaries that go along with them.

Building a bridge to bigger career and salary gains

Part-time work has long been a solution for working mothers who want to keep earning and keep their skin in the game while also stepping back from demanding roles and spending more time with their kids or managing household responsibilities. 

But part-time work doesn’t just reduce your earnings in proportion to full-time work. Part-time positions tend to pay nearly 30% less per hour than equivalent full-time roles, according to a report published by the Economic Policy Institute. That has a ripple effect on finances—whether that be emergency funds, retirement contributions, or overall financial security. Part-time work can also potentially stall women’s career trajectories.

It’s heartening to see mothers we work with no longer have to make this trade-off. When it comes to achieving pay equity and the equitable division of labor at home, we still have a long way to go. However, for many women and mothers in the workforce right now, the ability to continue a full-time career trajectory in a culture that accepts and even celebrates remote, flexible work is a game changer.

As companies consider their return-to-work policies and puzzle over how we’ll overcome some of the built-in inequities of remote work, I worry that we’ll pivot too hard in the other direction. Progress is incremental for many women, including the moms we work with. While we work on the more significant, macro issues at play regarding gender pay and wealth gaps, women can (and should be able to) continue building their careers while also picking their kids up at the bus today. This is a huge step forward from the environment for working moms seeking this kind of flexibility just a few years ago when I started MomUp.

A solution to build on

Many people thought the pandemic shift to remote and flexible work would be the cure-all for working parents. However, the truth is, there are a lot of systemic issues that still need to be fixed—including organizations with remote work policies but a culture of looking down on employees who exercise them, the gender pay gap, accessible and affordable childcare, and the division of labor at home. It’s easy to look at these issues and worry that offering remote work is simply creating a new trap for women.

But in fact, for the segment of women who were considering taking a moment to “lean out,” remote work is a solution to build on. Companies who can see the practical benefits of what these policies offer to women and who continue to encourage employees to utilize them will be part of a constructive solution that is helping working mothers today. And that’s something to be proud of.

Michelle Keefe is the cofounder of mission-driven recruiting firm MomUp, which helps companies hire with purpose to increase access, opportunity, and representation of women in the workplace.