LONDON – A push to return more British workers to the office risks undercutting a surge in the hours that women spend on the job, reversing one of the few positive trends for the economy.

Women in Britain are putting in more time at work than ever before thanks to “hybrid work” policies that sprang up during the pandemic, allowing employees to split their time between the office and home, an analysis of official data by Bloomberg shows.

Analysts and employment experts warn that those gains, which have helped ease strains in a tight labour market, are at risk as businesses dial back flexibility.

Those conclusions shed light on trends in the labour market that the Bank of England is watching carefully as it gauges how high it must push up interest rates to contain inflation.

A drop in the number of people in the workforce during the pandemic pushed up wages and is feeding through to higher prices that the government and central bank want to halt.

Government data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the number of hours worked in Britain is finally back above pre-pandemic levels, unwinding the impact of lockdowns that shut businesses and pushed employees onto a state-supported furlough programme. 

It is women who have driven that rebound, ONS data show, with hours worked per woman up almost 5 per cent on levels before Covid-19 struck.

Men, on the other hand, are spending fewer hours on the job – accelerating the downward trend that began in the decade before the first Covid-19 lockdown.

The findings indicate a bit of relief for tightness in the British labour market, where vacancies remain near record highs and workers are in short supply due to Brexit and a surge in long-term sickness since the pandemic.

The uptick in women’s working hours is easing some of that pressure. The ONS will deliver a fresh batch of figures on Tuesday.

For Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government, which is desperate to get inflation down ahead of a general election expected in 2024, easing pressure on the labour market while keeping as many people employed as possible is a big priority.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt has vowed to extend state-backed free childcare hours to younger children.

But there is still a question about how this will be funded and if there are enough carers to meet demand.

Initially, the pandemic was a setback for working parents, since they had to juggle jobs with full-time childcare.

Women were hardest hit since they took the biggest care responsibilities.

But as nurseries and schools reopened, hybrid work practices made it easier for people to spend time on the job while making sure their children were where they needed to be.

The data show women took advantage of that flexibility to spend more hours on the job.

The concern is that some businesses are working against the favourable trend.

JPMorgan Chase, Amazon.com, Blackrock and Goldman Sachs are at the vanguard of limiting hybrid work, asking for staff to spend more time in the office and reducing the flexibility that has brought more work from women.

“Covid taught us a lot of things when we were right in the middle of it,” said Ms Louise Ballard, co-founder of business consultancy Beyondable, which aims to empower female workers. “And then there’s just been this slow creep back on so many levels.”

Director of the Institute for Employment Studies, Mr Tony Wilson, thinks the increase in women’s hours and the drop in men’s “likely broadly reflects people being able to work more of the hours that they want in a tight labour market”.

More women have shifted from part-time to full-time work, according to the ONS data. There has also been a drop in the number who say they are working part-time because they could not find full-time jobs. 

Meanwhile, the number of men taking on part-time jobs has jumped along with the portion who say it is because they do not want a full-time position. 

All of this suggests there has been some shift in the way household chores are being balanced by couples, Mr Wilson says.

The rise in women working longer hours “has probably been supported by more parents being able to stay working full time – or return to full time – because it’s a bit easier to do that in a hybrid world”, he adds.

Ms Daniela Korn, co-owner and head of the employment practice at law firm Tan Ward, saw many of her senior executive clients upping their hours and going full-time when Covid-19 offered them a more flexible schedule. 

“Previously, the flexibility would’ve cost them quite clearly in terms of their salary,” she says. “There’s now an opportunity for them to be able to work more hours, but in a manner that suits them.”

Pandemic lockdowns may have also made some men realise the possibilities that part-time work can offer, Mr Wilson says.

Research has also suggested women are bearing the brunt of Britain’s inflation crisis, and it is possible this could be causing many to take on overtime and second jobs to help pay the bills.

While the number of people with second jobs has increased above pre-pandemic levels, according to ONS data, this is adding to women’s working hours far more than men’s.

“The balancing act between working life and caring responsibilities was put firmly under the microscope during the pandemic,” says Ms Lisa Fernihough, chief people officer at KPMG UK. “One of the few positives to come out of the pandemic was more flexible working.” BLOOMBERG