Latest / The Diversity Career Podcast with Fexingo: Inclusion, Equity, and Underrepresented Professionals / Why Return-to-Office Mandates Hurt Women of Color Most
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this number that keeps rattling around in my head — 42 percent. That's the share of women of color who told Lean In and McKinsey in their 2025 Women in the Workplace report that a lack of flexibility is a top reason they're thinking about leaving their job. Luna: 42 percent — and I bet that number climbs even higher when you look at certain industries, like finance or consulting, where face time is still king. Lucas: Exactly. And the timing matters — we're recording this in May 2026, and the return to office push has been accelerating for over a year now. A lot of companies that were remote or hybrid during the pandemic have tightened up. But the burden of those mandates isn't landing evenly. Luna: Right. So let's unpack that — who is actually hurt most when companies say 'four days a week in the office, no exceptions'? Lucas: Well, start with commute time. The data from that same report shows women of color have longer average commutes than white men — about 32 minutes versus 26 minutes one way. That doesn't sound huge, but over a week it's an extra hour in transit, and that hits caregivers hardest. And we know women of color are more likely to be primary caregivers in their households. Luna: And it's not just the time — it's the cost. If you're already paid less on average, a longer commute is a bigger percentage of your income. Lucas: Precisely. There's a 2024 study from the University of California that estimated women of color spend about 8 percent of their after-tax income on commuting costs, compared to about 5 percent for white men. So mandates effectively become a regressive tax. Luna: That's the financial side. But there's also the question of psychological safety, right? The office isn't necessarily a welcoming environment for everyone. Lucas: That's the part that doesn't show up in a cost-benefit spreadsheet. The same report found that 64 percent of women of color say they've experienced microaggressions at work — things like being interrupted, having their judgment questioned, or being asked to code-switch. And those incidents happen more frequently in in-person settings. Luna: Right — because remote work actually gives you a filter. You can mute, you can take a beat, you can choose not to engage in a way that's harder to do when you're physically in a meeting room. So forcing people back into that environment without addressing the underlying culture is a real problem. Lucas: And one company that seems to have understood this early is Synchrony Financial, the consumer finance company. They went remote-first in 2020 and never really reversed course. They've got about 20,000 employees, and their chief diversity officer has publicly said that flexibility is their number one retention tool for underrepresented talent. Luna: I remember reading that their manager diversity increased by 15 percentage points between 2020 and 2024 — from about 22 percent to 37 percent. That's not a coincidence. Lucas: Exactly. And they're a good case because they're not a tech company. They're in financial services, which is traditionally very office-centric. But they made a deliberate choice and it paid off in diversity metrics. Luna: But a lot of companies haven't made that choice. We're seeing mandates from JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, even Amazon — and the early data suggests those mandates are pushing women of color out disproportionately. Lucas: There's a working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research published in 2025 that tracked 15 large US firms that implemented strict return to office policies. They found that attrition among women of color increased by about 23 percent relative to white men in the 12 months following the mandate. That's massive. Luna: And that attrition isn't evenly distributed — it's often the most senior women of color who leave first, because they have the most options. So you lose the very people you need as mentors and role models for junior talent. Lucas: Right — it creates a vicious cycle. And that's where the business case gets really clear. Replacing a senior employee costs anywhere from 100 to 200 percent of their annual salary. So a mandate that drives out a few dozen senior women of color at a large firm could easily cost tens of millions of dollars in recruiting and onboarding costs alone. Luna: And that's before you factor in the loss of institutional knowledge and the impact on team performance. Lucas: Let me pause here because I think this is the right moment to mention something. If today's episode is landing for you — if you're getting something concrete out of it — we'd love your support. We keep this show ad-free by design, and that's only possible because a handful of listeners chip in through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a completely no-pressure thing, but if it's worth a coffee to you, that's the link. Luna: Yeah, it genuinely makes a difference. Even a small contribution helps us keep digging into these topics. Now back to the data — Lucas, you were about to talk about what underrepresented professionals can actually do when faced with a return to office mandate. Lucas: Right. So let's talk strategy. First — don't assume the mandate is non-negotiable. A 2025 survey from FlexJobs found that 68 percent of employees who requested a formal accommodation — like a medical exemption or a role reclassification to remote — were granted at least some flexibility. And women of color were actually more likely to get approved than white men, possibly because their requests were more thoroughly documented. Luna: Interesting — so being prepared matters. What does a well-documented request look like? Lucas: You want specific evidence of productivity — metrics, completed projects, manager feedback that shows you've been effective remotely. You also want to show how the flexibility actually benefits the company, not just you. For example, 'I can attend early morning calls with the Asia team without rushing' or 'I use my commute time for professional development.' And it helps to have a trial period suggested — 'Let me try this for three months and we'll review.' Luna: That's really practical. Another angle — some companies have started offering 'office stipends' or 'commuter benefits' that can offset the cost. If you can't get an exemption, at least make sure you're taking full advantage of whatever financial support exists. Lucas: And the third piece is building a coalition. If you're feeling the burden of a mandate, other colleagues probably are too. There's power in numbers — especially if you can present your concerns collectively to HR or leadership. The risk of retaliation drops significantly when you're not raising it alone. Luna: Yeah, and there's precedent for that. In 2024, a group of women of color at a major consulting firm — I won't name them — collectively requested a flexible work arrangement, and the firm ended up piloting a hybrid schedule for the whole practice area. That's an example of systemic change starting from individual advocacy. Lucas: That's the ideal outcome. But let's be realistic — not every company will bend. And if you're in a situation where the mandate is rigid and the culture is hostile, the most empowering thing might be to leave. The labor market in mid-2026 is still relatively tight for skilled professionals, and there are companies that have made flexibility a core part of their value proposition. Luna: So the bottom line — return to office mandates are not neutral. They have a real and measurable impact on women of color, both financially and psychologically. And the companies that ignore that are going to lose talent and money. Lucas: And the ones that take it seriously — that offer genuine flexibility, that invest in culture, that measure outcomes by contribution rather than face time — they're going to win the war for diverse talent. It's not complicated. It just takes intentionality. Luna: And data. The numbers are pretty clear. Lucas: They are. I'm Lucas. Luna: And I'm Luna. See you next time.