SheSays, the not-for-profit organisation championing gender equality in the creative industries, has launched a new campaign to drive a more inclusive future of work.

The organisation has partnered with JCDecaux Community Channel to launch a nationwide outdoor and social campaign which asks the industry to ‘Rework the Future’.

The initiative aims to galvanise the creative industry to co-create a more inclusive future of work which better meets the needs of women and non-binary people. The move comes at a pivotal time for the industry as agencies continue to introduce draconian return-to-office mandates. A one-size-fits-all approach which has been normalised by the continued framing of hybrid working as a ‘problem’ to be solved, rather than an opportunity to attract and retain more diverse talent.

In the wake of this increasingly toxic debate on the future of work, SheSays’ creative campaign poses a wholly different set of questions. Questions which feel like a breath of fresh air.

The creative executions each present a blank for the audience to complete. These include: ‘Flexible work will be _____________ for women.’ “If we ______________ we can smash the glass ceiling,’ and “The best bosses will be the ones that  ________.”

The messages are displayed on brightly coloured ‘post its’ that provide a compelling reminder of the need to widen the lens when it comes to discussing the future of work.

"Post-its," symbolising the work needed to shape the industry's future. Folded corners on the creative indicate the importance of the matter and act as a reference to indicate that the audience should return to the topic repeatedly, as you would do when marking a key page on a book.

The campaign’s tagline ‘The Future is what we make it’ encourages everyone to “Have your say at reworkthefuture.com” by completing a questionnaire about the fundamental changes needed to create a better work environment.

The data collected will feed into a manifesto for change, which SheSays plans to present to businesses in late September. SheSays hopes this manifesto will highlight urgent issues and serve as a roadmap for actionable improvements in workplace policies.

In recent weeks, we’ve witnessed a growing spotlight on work, culture and flexibility as many agencies and industry figures push for people to be increasingly in the office come September. This coincides with the new government’s focus on the workplace. Labour’s Plan to Make Work Pay and the ‘Right to Disconnect’ code of practice shows they are aiming to strike a balance so that work functions for employees and employers.

“We want people to co-create the future of work with us,” explains Amy Dick, UK President of SheSays. She continues: “Our campaign is urging people to have their say to build a better future of work. We want people to feel empowered and see that the future is yet to be decided. There is a massive opportunity to shape it in a way that better reflects our needs.”

Dick points to research from the 2023 All In Census which found that 26% of respondents would consider leaving their company within the next 12 months due to a poor work/life balance, and two days in the office was the preferred hybrid working option. She adds: “Yet the push for people to be in the office continues, and many recommendations urging change are not being enforced. Our industry has inherited working practices that need reviewing and updating, and now is the time for our people-centred industry to have a say on how they want the future of work to look.”

Chris Dooley, Head of Social Impact at JCDecaux UK, added: “I am proud that we are bringing SheSays’ important message to a national audience across our digital Out-of-Home screens. The JCDecaux Community Channel creates real value through the power of the public screen and aims to amplify Out-of-Home’s role as a force for good in the community.”

To answer the She Says questionnaire please click here.