The boss of the world’s biggest building society has said women who work from home potentially put their career growth in jeopardy.

Debbie Crosbie, Chief Executive of Nationwide, also said that given a choice, women are less likely than men to go into the office.And that’s problematic for women’s career progression, she hinted, as “being seen…is a really important part of development.”

'Development-watching'

Speaking to Radio 4’s Today programme, Crosbie also said “development-watching” — her term for observing leaders up close — was “vital learning” denied by working from home.

Crosbie’s suggestion is that a “physical presence” in the workplace is the key to getting promoted.

‘Up to 40% of end-users now encouraging office-time’

A jobs agency recruiting IT contractors for London’s Square Mile, Bowers Partnership, says it received “fewer” fully remote roles in January 2025.

“[While] hybrid working is still going strong, particularly in tech…around 30-40% of our clients are encouraging more office-time,” the agency’s founder Natalie Bowers told Women in Tech.

‘A lot more flexibility given, post-pandemic’

In her BBC interview, the building society boss said: “Post the pandemic, there has been a lot more flexibility given; not just to people who have child caring responsibilities but also to people who have either caring responsibilities.

“I’m a great fan of that. I just think that we’ve got to be really careful of making sure women get the chance to be present in the business-place as well, because being seen – and then seeing other leaders – is a really important part of their development. We need to be careful that we don’t inadvertently prevent women from taking opportunities by [them] not being in the office”.

‘Flexibility, a huge draw for women in tech’

The boss of Bowers Partnership added: “Smart companies realise that flexibility is a huge draw for top talent, especially women in tech.

“Why? Because it’s much less about Zoom calls in pyjamas, and much more about accessibility, balance, and breaking down barriers.

“For some, it’s also about avoiding costly, stressful, inefficient commuting while for others, it’s about juggling family commitments. Options on how you work — not mandating where — send a clear signal that a company or employer values its workers’ time and wellbeing.”

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