11.08.2025

Nearly half of UK firms now demand full‑time office attendance.

Nearly half of UK firms now demand full‑time…

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Nearly half of UK firms now demand full‑time office attendance.

But rigid return‑to‑office policies can mask the same equity risks we’ve been warning about.

You might’ve seen it:

A recent British Chambers of Commerce survey shows 48% of businesses want everyone in the office daily - up from 27% earlier this year.

Sounds like a management problem, right?

But if you look closer, it’s about who’s paying the price.

Here’s what leaders often overlook:

Caregivers, especially women, often depend on hybrid models to manage family demands.

Men are still less likely to shoulder domestic responsibilities, so they get labelled ‘dedicated’ for showing up.

A ‘hard-to-call’ attendance expectation becomes a litmus test for who's committed..

not who’s performing.

That’s not fairness.

That’s perception bias.

Truth is-

Gender equity doesn’t hear attendance policy.

It sees lived realities.

When equity isn’t built into culture, not just compliance -

policies like “must be onsite 5 days” can actually reinforce bias.

So before you go hybrid-neutral or revert to rigid mandates, ask:

Who in my organisation needs flexibility to perform, and who gets penalised for it?

Am I demanding visibility instead of delivering value?

Could this office-first stance quietly push talent, especially women, out the door?

That’s a gender equity risk - just not the kind that springs from hiring stats or pay gaps.

If you’re serious about building real inclusion (not just following a policy),

you should attend to our free live workshop on 14th August at 11am.

https://lnkd.in/eSghkFbi

We’ll unpack how equity gaps show up in every corner of leadership, from hybrid expectations to motherhood leave -

and how to spot them before they become legal liability.

And if you want to self-audit quietly before that?

Take our HR Risk & Gender Equity Scorecard - a free, quick diagnostic that shows you where hidden risks are living in your business. You'll also receive a comprehensive report with action steps immediately.

🔗 Scorecard: https://lnkd.in/eSsM-XeH

What assumptions do your attendance policies reveal - about who you really value?

👋🏽 𝗛𝗶, 𝗜’𝗺 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝗮, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗥 𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁.
𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗥 “𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀” 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝘁.
𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴.

𝗠𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻? 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 - 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲.

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Founder of HR Habitat, award winner of "Best HR & Employment Law Consultancy, 2024" title. As featured in BBC Oline, BBC Asian Network Radio, Telegraph & more. 

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