FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

March 11, 2025 

CONTACT: 

Chandler Rollins, rollins@iwpr.org 

For women, and especially women of color, workplace flexibility is more than just a scheduling perk—it is a gateway to achieving better health and well-being. 

Washington, DC — Today, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) released two new analyses, “Flexible Work and Women’s Well-Being” and The Intersection of Workplace Flexibility and Exercise by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity, examining the impact of workplace flexibility on women’s health and well-being and their ability to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle. The findings point to increased equity in access to remote and flexible work following the COVID-19 pandemic and high levels of satisfaction with work-life balance.  

IWPR releases these findings in the same week as the 5th anniversary of President Trump’s COVID-19 emergency declaration, which triggered a massive explosion of remote work, and amid the President’s current rescission of remote work options for all federal workers.     

“COVID-19 catalyzed a major cultural shift, normalizing remote and flexible work arrangements,” says Ariane Hegewisch, senior research fellow at IWPR and co-author of the research. “Yet, remote work is now under threat as too many employers are clinging to an outdated and old-fashioned notion that places a higher value on presentism than actual performance. There are no data showing that remote work reduces productivity, but lots of data on the positive impact of remote and flexible work options on workers and employers alike.” 

“Flexible Work and Women’s Well-Being” highlights key findings from a survey of 5,693 employed adult women conducted by Morning Consult in November 2024.  

• Access to Flexible Working Is Common: 

• Four in ten (39 percent) employed women report that they can work remotely, and one in two (52 percent) report that they can adjust their starting and end times at work.  

• Flexibility Boosts Worker Satisfaction: 

• Women with remote and flexible work options were significantly more likely to report satisfaction with their work-life balance (71 percent vs. 48 percent).  

• Remote Work Reduces Stress:  

• Women with access to remote and flexible work arrangements reported lower rates of anxiety (39 percent vs. 44 percent), though stress levels remained high, particularly for those with disabilities or chronic conditions (58 percent). 

• Flexible Work Benefits Health:  

• Women with access to remote and flexible work were significantly more likely to report good or excellent health (69 percent vs. 60 percent). 

Findings from IWPR’s report, The Intersection of Workplace Flexibility and Exercise by Gender, Race, and Ethnicity, examine two types of workplace flexibility prior to the COVID-19 pandemic: employee-centered flexibility, which allows workers to control their schedules through options like remote work and flextime (adjustable start and end times), and employer-centered flexibility, which offers less control and includes variable schedules and nonstandard hours. The report also explores how these different forms of flexibility intersect with race/ethnicity and gender to shape workers’ ability to engage in physical activity. 

• Flexible Work Fuels Health Equity:  

• Women with access to remote work were 41.6 percent more likely to exercise. The greatest increases were observed among Asian women (+165.7 percent) and Black women (+92.4 percent). 

• Workers with flextime were 36.4 percent more likely to engage in exercise. 

• Conversely, employees with nonstandard schedules were 11.2 percent less likely to exercise, with Black women (-54.1 percent) experiencing the steepest decline in physical activity. 

• Workplace Flexibility Is Unequally Distributed: 

• White and Asian women were more likely to have remote work access than Black and Latina women. Before the pandemic, only 18.8 percent of Black women and 18.1 percent of Latina women could work remotely, compared to 32.8 percent of White women and 30.8 percent of Asian women. 

• Women caregivers had less flexibility than their male counterparts, with 59.3 percent of men caregivers having access to flextime, compared to 55.9 percent of women caregivers. 

“Equitable access to workplace flexibility is vital for health and well-being, yet it remains out of reach for many,” said Dr. Robyn Watson Ellerbe, distinguished senior fellow at IWPR and co-author of the report. “Our latest research highlights the vital role hybrid work can play in supporting physical activity, particularly for Black women, who face higher risks of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease due to limited mobility. Despite these risks, they are too often excluded from these benefits. Policymakers and employers must recognize that workplace flexibility is not about mere scheduling convenience—it is a fundamental issue of racial and gender equity in health outcomes.” 

About IWPR 

The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is a leading national think tank dedicated to advancing women’s economic security, workplace equity, and policy solutions that support gender and racial justice. Through rigorous research and strategic advocacy, IWPR works to inform public policy and drive meaningful change for women in the workforce. To schedule an interview with the authors or request additional information, please contact Chandler Rollins at rollins@iwpr.org.