Return-to-office mandates will make career progression much harder for women than men, solicitors attending the launch of new research on women returning from maternity leave have heard.
A law firm partner made the observation at an event to discuss the findings of a report by coaching platform BlueSky - founded by employment solicitors Hannah Bradshaw and Sarah Lyons - on empowering women in law to take charge of their careers.
According to BlueSky's latest report, for which 285 fee-earners were surveyed, 78% experienced a ‘motherhood penalty’, defined as a perceived impact of maternity leave on confidence, visibility, access to work and overall career momentum.
The report says: ‘For many women, the motherhood penalty develops gradually in the months after return, when expectations may be high but visibility, confidence and access to career-enhancing work have not yet fully re-established. Our data shows that this period can also be markedly reduced sponsorship, fewer informal career conversations and slower reintegration into client and matter teams.’
A law firm partner told the event, conducted under Chatham House Rule, that some firms are mandating staff to work in the office four days a week. ‘I think that’s going to make it much harder for women. It will set us back because flexible working has been transformative,’ she said. Another attendee said office mandates were 'such a detriment'.
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The partner's firm continues to offer flexible working and does mandate staff to come into the office for a set number of days. Most people come into office two days a week and the number of women partners has risen considerably over the past decade.
Bradshaw and Lyons were asked if things have become more difficult since diversity became 'a taboo word’.
A growing number of US corporates have rolled back on diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) initiatives since US president Donald Trump signed executive orders to end what the White House called ‘illegal DEI’ within the federal government.
Bradshaw said she and Lyons ‘have had conversations that have taken much longer than pre-Trump’.
Their report urges firms to support new mothers beyond immediate reintegration and focus structured support around three months post-return. Partners should be encouraged to agree a clear plan that sets expectations around workload, visibility and access to career-enhancing work.
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