The Covid-19 pandemic is no longer a daily emergency, but its effects on women in the workplace UK are still visible in 2026. From the normalisation of hybrid working to stubborn gaps in pay, progression and pensions, the crisis exposed and deepened inequalities that had been building for years. For women running businesses, building careers or returning to work, understanding the post-pandemic landscape is essential to making informed decisions.

Women now make up a significant share of the UK’s self-employed and business-owning population, yet the legacy of the pandemic continues to shape who works, how they work and what they earn.

How the pandemic changed work for women

Before 2020, UK workplaces already showed persistent gender inequality. ONS data from 2024 showed the median gender pay gap for all employees stood at 13.1%, with the full-time employee gap at 7.0%. Progress has been slow: women still account for around three-quarters of part-time employees and remain under-represented at senior levels. The FTSE Women Leaders Review 2024 found women held 42.1% of FTSE 350 board positions, but only 32.5% of executive committee roles. Women chief executives remain rare.

Covid-19 intensified these patterns. During the 2020 lockdowns, women took on the majority of additional childcare and housework. Research by the Women’s Budget Group and the Institute for Fiscal Studies found mothers were doing around two hours more childcare each day than fathers, plus substantially more housework. This unequal division of unpaid labour directly affected paid work.

The early evidence was stark:

• HMRC data from May 2020 showed women made up 52% of workers on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, despite being a smaller share of the workforce.
• A TUC survey in 2020 found seven in ten working mothers who requested furlough for childcare reasons were turned down.
• The Women’s Budget Group warned that mothers on the lowest incomes were eight times more likely than other parents to lose work because of school closures.

These were not temporary blips. A 2020 Deloitte survey found nearly 70% of women feared the pandemic had disrupted their career progression. Six years later, those fears have partly materialised in slower pay growth, interrupted careers and a persistent leadership gap.

Women in the workplace UK: where they stand in 2026

Women’s employment has largely recovered. The ONS reported a female employment rate of 72.5% in early 2024, close to historic highs. Yet the headline figure hides important differences. Women are still more likely than men to work part-time, to take career breaks for caring responsibilities, and to experience economic inactivity for family reasons.

Hybrid and flexible working are now permanent features of many office-based roles. ONS data consistently show women are more likely than men to work from home at least part of the week. For many, this supports a better balance between paid work and caring responsibilities. Since 6 April 2024, all employees in Great Britain have had a statutory right to request flexible working from day one of employment, following the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023.

However, flexibility carries risks. If women disproportionately choose remote working while men are more visible in the office, proximity bias can creep into decisions about promotions, pay rises and high-profile projects. Research by the CIPD shows that out-of-sight workers can be overlooked, which could widen the gender pay gap and stall women’s progression. Flexible working rights in 2026 give women more options, but those options only advance equality if employers manage them fairly.

What women can do now

Whether you are employed, self-employed or running your own business, there are practical steps to protect and advance your position in 2026.

Know your flexible working rights

From day one of employment, you can request flexible working, including hybrid hours, part-time hours, job shares, compressed hours or altered start and finish times. Your employer must deal with requests in a reasonable manner and can only refuse for specific statutory reasons. ACAS provides free guidance on making and handling requests.

Track your pay and progression

If you work for an organisation with 250 or more employees, it must publish gender pay gap data each year. Gender pay gap reporting in 2026 remains a key tool for holding employers to account. Use published data to compare employers and to ask informed questions at interview or appraisal.

Build visibility on your own terms

If you work remotely or part-time, be deliberate about staying visible. Document your achievements, volunteer for cross-team projects, and make sure your manager knows your career goals. Visibility does not require daily office presence, but it does require clear communication.

Plan for caring costs and career breaks

Childcare remains expensive and patchy across the UK. If you are employed, check your employer’s childcare support, parental leave and emergency caring policies before you need them. If you are self-employed, investigate whether you qualify for government childcare support and plan for maternity or carers’ breaks in your cash flow.

Consider entrepreneurship

For some women, the pandemic accelerated a move into self-employment or business ownership. If you are thinking about starting up, explore Start Up Loans for women founders and other women-focused funding programmes. Running your own business can give you control over working patterns, but it also brings responsibility for tax, pensions and statutory entitlements.

What employers should do

Women-led businesses and HR teams can set the standard for inclusive workplaces. Organisations that act now can prevent pandemic-related setbacks from becoming permanent disadvantage.

Audit your workforce data

Disaggregate pay, promotion, performance and leaver data by gender, ethnicity, age and working pattern. Look at who took parental or carers’ leave, who requested flexible working, and who was promoted during and after the pandemic.

Design hybrid work for inclusion

Train managers to recognise proximity bias and evaluate performance by outcomes rather than presence. Ensure meetings, decisions and social events include remote and part-time workers. Advertise roles as open to flexible working by default.

Support working parents and carers

Offer genuine flexible working, emergency leave and support for carers. Review parental leave, return-to-work programmes and sponsorship for women returning from career breaks.

Close pay and progression gaps

Publish gender pay gap data if required, and explain the action plan to close it. Pay particular attention to part-time workers, who are overwhelmingly women, to ensure they are not penalised in progression or bonuses.

Conclusion

The pandemic did not create workplace inequality, but it deepened it. In 2026, women in the workplace UK still face a gender pay gap, a leadership gap and a care gap that overlap and reinforce each other. Flexible and hybrid working could transform workplaces for the better, but only if they are implemented with inclusion, transparency and fairness at their core. For women in business, the priority is clear: know your rights, track your progress, and choose employers and clients that value outcomes over presence.