Debbie Crosbie, CEO of the Nationwide Building Society, has warned that women who regularly work from home could miss out on promotion opportunities due to lower personal visibility.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Crosbie said that in the post-pandemic era, more women than men had chosen flexible working – often due to childcare responsibilities – and that this reduced presence in offices could hinder professional growth.
Crosbie explained that “developmental observation” – the opportunity to closely observe and learn from senior leaders – was integral to her own rise through the ranks. “Men come into the office more often than women, and we have to be very careful that we don’t prevent women from accessing that vital knowledge,” she said. Nationwide introduced a ‘work from anywhere’ policy for non-branch staff during the pandemic, but has since tightened the requirement to at least two days a week in the office.
Reflecting on her early career under Lynne Peacock at Clydesdale Bank, Crosbie noted how seeing an “inspirational female CEO” take on challenges helped her develop. She also credited her decision to have a child at age 32 for granting her flexibility at crucial points in her career. “Many women are now having children later – in their late 30s – just as they are often in line for senior positions,” she added.
Recent data from the Office for National Statistics shows that 28% of the UK workforce are now working hybrid (splitting time between home and the workplace), and 13% remain fully remote. Among working parents, that figure rises to 35%, with more fathers than mothers preferring a hybrid pattern. Meanwhile, 44% of British workers still commute to the same workplace five days a week.