Debbie Crosbie, the chief executive of Nationwide Building Society, has raised concerns that women who regularly work from home may miss out on promotion opportunities due to reduced visibility in the office. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Crosbie highlighted how more women than men have opted for flexible working arrangements in the post-pandemic world, often driven by childcare responsibilities. However, she cautioned that this trend could inadvertently hinder women’s professional growth by limiting their in-person presence.

Crosbie explained that “development-watching,” the opportunity to observe and learn from senior leaders in person, played a key role in her own career advancement. “Men are more likely to come into the office than women, and we need to be really careful that we don’t prevent women from accessing that vital learning,” she said.

Nationwide, where Crosbie leads, introduced a “work from anywhere” policy during the pandemic for its non-branch staff but has since revised it to require employees to spend at least two days a week in the office. The company’s updated policy reflects growing concerns that remote work could contribute to unequal career progression opportunities for those who are less visible to their colleagues and superiors.

Crosbie also reflected on her early career at Clydesdale Bank under the leadership of Lynne Peacock, recalling how observing an inspiring female chief executive navigate challenges had been instrumental in her own development. She also credited her decision to have a child at 32 with providing her with flexibility at key moments in her career. “Many women are now having children later—in their late 30s—precisely when they’re often in line for more senior posts,” she noted.

Recent data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that 28% of the UK workforce now works in a hybrid model, splitting their time between home and the office. Among working parents, the figure rises to 35%, with fathers more likely than mothers to adopt hybrid working patterns. Meanwhile, 44% of UK workers continue to commute to the same workplace five days a week.

Crosbie’s comments come at a time when businesses are grappling with the long-term implications of flexible working arrangements. As the conversation around work-life balance continues to evolve, experts are increasingly focusing on the need for companies to find ways to ensure all employees, particularly women, have equal opportunities for career progression, regardless of their work location.

British companies are showing increased optimism for the start of 2025, with new surveys suggesting that many expect higher turnover and increased hiring, providing a boost to Labour’s goal of rejuvenating the country’s sluggish economic growth.

Surveys conducted by Lloyds and KPMG reveal that 70% of firms are anticipating revenue growth in the first quarter of 2025. This marks an improvement in sentiment compared to the same period last year. Lloyds, which polled 1,200 companies, found that nearly three-quarters of respondents are projecting higher profits over the next 12 months. Of those, one in five expects revenues to increase by more than 10%, while a quarter forecast a rise of between 6% and 10%.

The financial services sector is also displaying confidence, with two-thirds of the 160 financial leaders surveyed by KPMG expressing optimism about the government’s new financial services strategy. Despite challenges such as the looming increase in employers’ national insurance contributions from April, the sector is bullish on Labour’s plans to boost competitiveness and attract foreign investment. “Financial services is the backbone of the UK economy,” said Karim Haji, global and UK head of financial services at KPMG. Haji also noted that half of the firms surveyed plan to recruit more staff in 2025.

However, some hurdles remain. A quarter of respondents to the KPMG survey cited higher national insurance costs as a potential barrier to hiring, while a third warned that difficulties in finding skilled candidates could also impede expansion.

Despite these positive forecasts, official data showed that the UK’s economy stagnated in the third quarter of 2024 after a strong start to the year, as concerns over high interest rates and global uncertainties continue to weigh on growth. Still, many economists predict that the UK will avoid a recession, with anticipated interest rate cuts next year and increased government spending in healthcare and local government. Traders are forecasting four cuts to the Bank of England’s base rate, potentially reducing it to 3.75%, which would ease borrowing costs for businesses.

In contrast to the optimism seen in the Lloyds and KPMG surveys, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) reported that its members’ growth expectations for early 2025 remain at their lowest point since November 2022, citing ongoing uncertainty.

Despite these mixed outlooks, a fifth of the firms surveyed by Lloyds plan to hire new staff and invest in AI or digital tools, while a quarter aim to raise wages and upskill existing employees. Haji emphasized that further clarity on the government’s competitiveness strategy in 2025 will be key for financial services firms to effectively plan and attract foreign capital.