Is flexible working the next big step in women’s liberation?

For at least three decades, many women have been longing, if not always asking, for greater workplace flexibility.

Susan Ditton is managing her responsibilities at BHP’s Caval Ridge open-cut mine at Moranbah, in central Queensland, while living four hours away, on the Sunshine Coast.

For at least three decades, many women have been longing, if not always asking, for greater workplace flexibility.

Mothers, in particular, wanted to work part-time, and at least some days from home, but many were made to feel ashamed, as if they weren’t as committed to their jobs or it was assumed the­ arrange­ments weren’t really about work but somehow about goofing off.

Then came the pandemic.

Millions of workers, men and women, have in 2020 been plunged into flexible arrangements, working exclusively from home, relying on Zoom to connect with the office … and many have loved it.

People have been getting more sleep and men have had precious time with their often-little kids.

To the surprise of industry, many employers report that workers are no less productive at home.

Does this mean that the longed-for revolution, centred around part-time and casual hours, worked at a time of the employee’s choosing, has been as successful as women always said it would be?

And if so, are the days of employees sitting at desks in offices, eight or nine hours a day, five days a week, now over?

And with them, the days of women sneaking out to try to get to the childcare centre before it closes?

These questions will be ­addressed in a special women’s issue of The Deal, published with The Australian on Friday.

The pandemic has led to the most rapid restructure of workplace arrangements in a century.

And many women have found the flexibility they craved.

Susan Ditton, 37, for example, is managing her responsibilities at BHP’s Caval Ridge open-cut mine at Moranbah, in central Queensland, while living four hours away, on the Sunshine Coast.

“It is awesome, but BHP are on the front foot with this,” she says. “They were already on this journey — part-time and flex work — and then COVID turbocharged it. They really believe in it, like ‘Why not? Why shouldn’t we do it?’ ”

On the flip side, C|T Group managing director of research and campaigns Catherine Douglas says many employees are now wondering when a so-called “normal working life” will return.

“Everyone appreciated the opportunity to work at home, and they still want that flexibility, but there is a camaraderie and a sense of purpose that comes from working with people that you miss when you don’t know your peers.

“Trapped at home, and in their own heads, people started to lose their connection to work, and they wanted it back.”