Working mothers could face more negative effects from hybrid work models than their single male counterparts. Experts say the solution is to make remote work the default.

Unless companies make substantive changes to support flexible work arrangements, working mothers could miss out on promotions and opportunities.

A child plays while his mother works remotely. Photo: Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images

By Avery Hartmans

In some form or another, remote work is here to stay.

While some US workers are adamant that they’ll never return to an office, others just want flexibility — the option to stay at home when they want to and come into work when they need to. In corporate America, this has been dubbed a hybrid model of working, and everyone from Google CEO Sundar Pichai to JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon have decreed that their companies will adopt a new, flexible way of working.

On the surface, this type of flexibility will be crucial for workers whose lives no longer revolve around commuting five days per week, or for working parents who need to adjust their schedules to support childcare duties.

But experts warn that there could be a hidden downside to hybrid models of working if employers don’t handle it properly — one that could harm the careers of working mothers, and hamper diversity efforts for years to come.