Enhancing Equity through Asynchronous Communication as Universal Design

Remote and hybrid work surged due to the pandemic, equal to 40 years of prepandemic growth. Remote and hybrid work offers tremendous opportunities for employers to increase operational resilience, retain valuable employees, access unique talent, and build a nimble, diverse, and responsive workforce. It also offers workers the chance to enjoy greater flexibility and work-life balance, if done correctly, without sacrificing their careers. Over 30% of workers are expected to work in a remote or hybrid fashion in the long term. With women and people of color having stronger preferences for remote and hybrid work, there is potential for historically underrepresented groups to be negatively impacted by working remotely. Ensuring that remote employees have an equal voice in decision-making, access to leadership, professional development, and promotions must be an intentional part of an organization’s strategy. Asynchronous communication tools and strategies can help ensure that remote team members maintain an equitable position and voice in the workplace and are not on the wrong end of proximity bias.