Women Who Work from Home May Miss Promotion Opportunities, Warns Nationwide CEO

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.