Racial disparities in WFH policies uncovered by new study

A new study from the United Kingdom has raised concerns about the racial disparities that are prevalent in working-from-home policies and how these disparities may be exacerbated through return-to-office mandates.

A study, published in the Industrial Relations Journal, has found that despite a rise in WFH across all ethnicities in the UK since before the pandemic – certain ethnic groups were still less likely to be WFH, even when policies and access to a hybrid working arrangement were addressed.

According to the study, a number of groups were less likely to be working from home (WFH) than others due to various reasons. The researchers found that the “intersection of ethnicity, gender, migration and parental status all mattered” for rates of WFH:

• “Black men were significantly less likely to be WFH than white men. By contrast, Black women were just as likely as white women to be WFH”;

• “Chinese and ‘other Asian’ workers – both men and women – were significantly less likely to be WFH than white men and women”;

• “Black fathers were less likely to be WFH than white fathers”;

• “Chinese and ‘other Asians’, as well as Pakistani/Bangladeshi childless men, engaged in WFH at lower rates than their white counterparts”; and

• “Migrants belonging to ethnic minorities – and particularly those from Chinese and Black backgrounds – were less likely to be WFH than white workers, both UK-born and migrant.”

“On the one hand, it is great to see that much of the gaps in homeworking we found in pre-pandemic periods across workers of different ethnicities have reduced significantly with more workers being able to work from home,” said Heejung Chung, professor of work and employment at King’s Business School and director of the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London.

“Having said that, it is still concerning that some worker groups with the least bargaining power in the UK labour market are unable to access the great resource that is working from home.”

According to the study, some of the causes for why certain groups were less likely to have WFH routines included the (unconscious) biases against Black and minority ethnic (BME) workers – particularly black or migrant workers. The researchers stated that these groups may have been limited in their access to WFH policies due to a lack of trust from upper management.

Another noted cause for the disparity may also reflect the weaker bargaining power such groups often have, leading to a reluctance to WFH for fear that it will negatively impact their career progression.

For example, those from certain ethnic groups may feel they have much less control or power in their career role, opting not to step out of the traditional working parameters in case they are reprimanded. This can also be tied to those who are in a less than forgiving socioeconomic situation.

The researchers also touched on the stigma surrounding BME, especially when making the personal choice not to take advantage of flexible working arrangements. This could be due to gendered stereotypes or, once again, a perception that it could harm their careers.

This is a point that Shiyu Yuan, PhD candidate in social policy at the University of Kent and Research Fellow at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, said:

“The racial disparities in working from home that we found are more than a policy matter – they reflect deeper structural biases in the workplace. Even in this post-pandemic era, when homeworking has become more widespread, BME workers – especially men and migrant workers – still lag behind.”

“They often worry that taking up homeworking could reinforce negative stereotypes or hinder their career progressions, particularly if they already face added pressures as ethnic minorities with migration backgrounds.”

“It’s clear that simply offering WFH options isn’t enough: employers and policymakers have to tackle these biases and do more to ensure equitable access to homeworking for everyone.”

Chung also said: “Especially in light of the return-to-office mandates we are seeing more recently, our results indicate that we might end up with a greater disparity between workers with different levels of bargaining power. This may result in greater inequalities in the labour market between workers of different ethnicities and migration backgrounds.”

Kace O'Neill

Kace O'Neill is a Graduate Journalist for HR Leader. Kace studied Media Communications and Maori studies at the University of Otago, he has a passion for sports and storytelling.