Hello and welcome to Work Week, the podcast where we tackle one big question about the rapidly evolving workplace, explore what the research says about the issue, and explain what it all means for you.

I’m Dr. Gabby Burlacu, Senior Manager at The Upwork Research Institute — and what you’re hearing are my words, brought to life by a digital proxy of my voice, created by our team with the help of AI. 

This week, we’re asking a tough but urgent question: How can leaders build workplaces where women stay — and thrive?

This isn’t a new question, but it is an increasingly critical one. There has been a recent, sharp rise in women leaving the workforce — and the data challenges long-standing assumptions about why. Let’s take a closer look at the forces behind this trend — and more importantly, what leaders can do to stop the quiet exodus of women from the workplace.

Too often, when experienced women step back from corporate roles or leave the workforce entirely, the story is framed around personal choice like focusing on family or shifting priorities. But when you look at the data, a very different story emerges — one rooted in systemic friction, persistent inequities, and outdated structures.

Between January and August twenty twenty-five, more than four hundred fifty thousand women left the U.S. labor market, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s one of the steepest declines on record — second only to the decline during the global pandemic.

This number alone should be a wake-up call for organizations and leaders.

But recent data challenges common assumptions about why women are making this choice. WeAreTechWomen and Oliver Wyman surveyed five hundred UK-based mid- to senior-level women in tech. They found that only three percent of respondents cited caregiving as the primary reason for leaving their jobs. Instead, the research found a pattern of professional attrition driven by broken promotion pathways, unclear advancement tracks, stagnant wages, and workplaces that no longer meet the needs of a modern, flexible, and diverse workforce.

According to the research, among women with eleven to twenty years of experience, seventy-five percent reported waiting more than three years for a promotion. And over half earn below the average pay for their position and experience. 

Despite all of this, ambition is not the issue. In fact, ninety percent of these women say they aspire to leadership — but only twenty-five percent believe they’ll actually get there within their current organizations.

Additionally, annual research from McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org found that among U.S.-based corporate workers, for every one hundred men, only eighty-one women are promoted. And this disparity only increases when you compare to women of color.

The gap in advancement begins early in women’s careers and then widens over time, resulting in fewer women at every level of leadership. In fact, as of twenty-twenty-five, women run only eleven percent of Fortune 500 companies. This pattern — referred to in the McKinsey report as the “broken rung” — highlights how early missed opportunities can have long-term ripple effects. 

So let’s be clear: Women are not walking away from ambition. They’re walking away from systems that don’t reward their ambition and contributions.

And turnover among women comes at a cost. According to a survey of C-suite leaders distributed by The Upwork Research Institute, sixty-three percent of those with return-to-office mandates said the shift led to a disproportionate number of women quitting. Even more concerning, fifty-seven percent of those same leaders acknowledged that losing women workers hurt overall company productivity. And sixty-two percent said they faced real challenges backfilling those roles.

So why are so many companies still doubling down on outdated workplace models?

For decades, the standard model of success in corporate America was built around linear career progression, long hours, and physical presence in an office. But for many women — and increasingly for all workers — this model no longer aligns with what a sustainable, fulfilling career looks like.

As we highlighted in last week’s episode of Work Week, flexibility, autonomy, and career advancement are key metrics of worker well-being, job satisfaction, and retention. And yet, many companies are reverting to rigid policies and inflexible structures that ignore these fundamental shifts in workforce expectations.

The result? A growing disconnect between what today’s workers value, and what organizations are offering — with women among the most likely to feel this dissonance, and the first to leave.

Many companies have not proactively addressed the foundational issues that hold women back, such as unclear promotion paths, opaque decision-making, pay inequity, and bias — both conscious and unconscious — in performance evaluations.

When women wait years for a promotion while their equally qualified male peers climb the ladder, the message is clear: The current system is flawed in a way that favors one gender over another.

One factor disproportionately affecting women is the backlash against flexible work.

Return-to-office mandates, inflexible scheduling, and “face time” culture are likely to push women out — even women who have proven, over years, that they can deliver high-quality work remotely.

As the Upwork Research Institute survey about return-to-office mandates shows, nearly two-thirds of executives surveyed saw higher rates of female attrition after implementing the mandates. This suggests these mandates aren’t neutral — but have a gendered impact.

The pipeline to leadership is leaking talent fast — and too few companies are doing the hard work to fix it.

When experienced women leave a company it affects the organization’s succession planning, innovation, and long-term competitiveness.

So what happens if leaders do nothing?

Organizations that fail to retain and promote experienced women are putting their future at risk. They may struggle with succession gaps, diminished diversity in leadership, and lower employee engagement across the board.

Organizations are also more likely to lose the very leaders they need to navigate complex challenges, adapt to shifting markets, and build inclusive cultures.

So how can organizations be more proactive about supporting workplaces in which women stay and thrive? 

Let’s break it down into five specific shifts that forward-thinking leaders can start making today.

First, rethink advancement timelines and transparency. The data shows that women are being left behind when promotions are few and far between. Companies need to establish clear, transparent career paths — with regular feedback, goal setting, and objective, measurable progress markers.

Second, normalize flexibility — and protect it. Flexibility isn’t a perk. It’s an increasingly foundational expectation for all workers, women included. That means re-evaluating which roles actually require in-person time and trusting employees to manage their own hours and outputs. Hybrid and remote work should be a default, not an exception.

Third, audit pay and promotion data regularly. If over half of mid-career women are earning below their level’s average, this isn’t an accident — it’s a pattern. Regular pay audits, promotion tracking, and structured review processes that reduce subjectivity are key steps in closing those gaps.

Fourth, invest in sponsorship, not simply mentorship. Mentorship is helpful — but sponsorship is what moves the needle. Senior leaders in a sponsorship capacity can advocate for women in the rooms and meetings where decisions get made. Build structures where sponsorship is intentional and measured, not simply a feel-good talking point.

And fifth, listen to women — then act. Many women are telling their organizations exactly what they need: clearer paths to leadership, flexible options, and equitable treatment. Too often, these insights are ignored until exit interviews. Instead, integrate regular listening mechanisms — and tie leadership key performance indicators to acting on feedback from women, and all workers.

Let’s close the episode as we always do, with an action step you can implement right away and a question to reflect on throughout the week.

If you’re a leader, here’s your action step: This week, take a closer look at the most recent departures from your organization. Pull the exit interviews — formal or informal — for the last three women in leadership or senior-level roles who left your organization. What reasons did they give? Can you identify patterns or signals that were missed? And equally as important — were any of those departures preventable? The answers may reveal more than you expect and help you identify a path toward better retention among women in your workplace.

And if you’re a woman in a mid- to senior-level role, here’s your action step: Reflect on the resources, opportunities, or clarity you need right now to support your career advancement — and advocate for yourself. Whether this means initiating a conversation about your career path, asking for a stretch assignment, or benchmarking your compensation — advocacy starts by articulating what you want and the resources and support you need.

And here’s your reflection question: What would it take to make your organization a place where women actively choose to stay — not because they’re settling, but because they see a real path to leadership?

The good news is that change is possible. Companies that are willing to do the hard work of culture change will reap the rewards — not only in representation, but in resilience, innovation, and long-term performance.

That’s it for today’s episode of Work Week. Thank you for listening. I’m Gabby Burlacu, and if this week’s episode challenged any of your assumptions, or if you think it might spark a conversation, please share it with a colleague, drop a review, and be sure to subscribe to Work Week for more perspectives on the future of work.