As we look at the year ahead, it’s time for a crucial reset: how we talk about equality, its role in workplace wellbeing, and its impact on creativity.

Last year, Equal Pay Day in the UK – the day women, on average, stop earning compared to men due to the gender pay gap, fell two days earlier than the year before, signalling a widening gap. This must be a wake-up call.

If companies want to inspire the best work from their teams, they must create environments that empower and reward allemployees. But when working mothers are sidelined, women with great leadership potential are overlooked for progression or menopausal women feel quitting is their only option, we are collectively failing women in the workplace.

And our industry is paying for it.

Gender equality is good for everyone

With research showing that gender-balanced businesses outperform their rivals by up to 29%, it proves that addressing inequality isn’t just a women’s issue - it’s a business imperative. Gender diversity not only fuels performance, but also creates a better set-up for creative excellence, with diverse and inclusive businesses having a 59% probability of achieving greater creativity, innovation and openness.

However, despite the benefits at grasp, many businesses are still early in their journey.

Only around 37.5% of C-suite roles are held by women in advertising. This, together with the widening gender pay gap, shows that there are still challenges we haven’t resolved around the development and retention of women in leadership.

Women also have more complex healthcare needs, and spend 25% of their lives in poorer health than men. From menstruation to fertility to menopause, health can be an obstacle throughout the entire career journey. And with women still shouldering the majority of childcare responsibilities, gender-balancing businesses for the good of us all is even more important.  

But it’s not just about women. Anyone with health conditions or caregiving responsibilities – be that for children, ageing parents or other dependents – can suffer thanks to outdated workplace practices.

Ultimately, the lack of flexibility means that talent, especially women, are leaving the industry at a rate that recruitment and training can’t match.

An opportunity - not a challenge

In practice, a big part of inequality at work comes down to flexibility.

However it’s often viewed as a challenge by employers and remains under-supported across the industry. Yet when worked right, it can become a superpower!

Lack of flexibility is something that can impact all employees, preventing them from both being their best selves and delivering industry-defining work. This means that talented people are forced out of the industry because their company can’t or won’t support them properly.

But what businesses need to realise is that the people leaving are often the superstars who have been delivering brilliant results and driving growth for your business. Becoming a mum, or needing flexibility for any reason, doesn’t take away those merits. By losing these people, we lose the brilliant creative talent you’ve spent years cultivating. That has a direct impact on your revenue, client relationships, and the awards you win – all the things that make your business great.

At the same time, flexible working is one of the few things that can effectively help bridge the pay gap while addressing the talent shortage. Research shows that 77% of women would be more likely to apply for a job that offered flexible working, and 40% of those not currently working said flexibility would allow them to take on more paid work.

And it’s not just a priority for women – 68% of men agree that flexibility is important to them, too.

Making flexibility work

The business case for flexibility is clear, how do we get there?

There is no one-size-fits-all need, nor is there a universal solution. Lean into open conversations with your teams to understand what barriers they face and map out the solutions that might work for them, and the business.

Take inspiration from and utilise tools like the Flexible First Checklist to identify the pillars of flexible organisations and benchmark where you are today.

If your team member is seeking more flexibility, why not pair them with a younger colleague keen to step up, so they can share the responsibility? That allows employers to simultaneously maintain motivation with their experienced team members and create a dynamic mentoring relationship that feeds your talent pipeline.

When viewed in this way, flexibility benefits both parties, and the business, while optimising productivity.

It is not the problem, it’s the solution.

The future can be bright

There are many ways to overcome the perceived challenges businesses associate with flexibility, and so much to gain. If everyone, regardless of their circumstances, can focus on doing what they do best, our sector will thrive.

This is the change businesses need to embrace if they want to unlock new productivity. By focusing on equality, we generate more value from and for our existing talent while safeguarding our greatest asset – creativity.

Let’s reset and make January 2025 the month where equality powered by flexibility becomes a clear priority. By making it the new normal we can ensure that going forward, Equal Pay Day arrives later, or not at all.