Writing Contest “Work” The Out of Office Experience

Illustration of a young woman holding a book
Illustration: © Tobias Schrank

Working moms have been fighting for a flexible home office shift for years – yet it needed a global crisis to become reality. Zoe Aphane reflects about the changes that are hopefully about to come and why they are especially important for women.

In 2020 when we all had our new year resolutions in order who knew that working in our basements and kitchen counters would be part of the list. That’s exactly how the world of work has changed since the beginning of the covid 19 pandemic. For some, the shift from regular office desk to working from home could not have come at a better time. 

Working parents are among the many people who have welcomed this general shift of flexible working with open arms, especially working moms. The conversation of flexibility within the working system has been going on for over decades and it took a crisis to finally make remote working necessary. Women have religiously been the one’s pushing this narrative over men for years because let’s be honest, we simply do more than men. Today, here we are breastfeeding on the other side of a zoom meeting and in between we’re figuring out how to tik Tok – look at us now!  

Studies show that remote workers were found to be more productive than their office-based colleagues, this has since created some normalcy around the idea that there isn’t loss of productivity away from your traditional working space. We’re no longer bound to a desk and a chair that adds to your back pain to be creative or effective. 

A Free and Flexible World of Work

Although working from home has been a blessing for some, studies show it’s been more stressful for others, trying to keep your children and your career alive has proven to be impactful on overall mental health. Children are more likely to show up on the screen of their mother’s zoom meeting than their father’s – whether screaming half-naked or simply wanting to cuddle-join the party. 

While women have been trying to minimize their physical presence in the office there have been more questions and concerns around lack of salary increase, gender inequality and less promotions since working from home. Companies would rather risk losing excellent women professionals or women leaders over men as women seemingly have ‘too much’ on their hands and are deemed incapable to do it all from childcare, maternity leave, career growth and mental health. 

The world of work is changing and moving us forward with advanced technology and new ways of making a living to make us smarter and better. However, who is responsible for also moving change within bias, unfair, and unequal systems in this ‘great reset’? We are. 

I am ready to work in a world of working moms who have the freedom to choose where and how they work. The world of work is mobile, it’s about time policies, programs and laws in companies further understand and meet women’s needs. The world needs it, but women need it more. That is the ‘out of office’ experience I’m talking about!