4 flexible workspaces for women & gender minorities

Being a woman or gender minority in the working world isn't without its barriers.

The gender pay gap, while declining, is still ever present in the UK (and global) workforce, reportedly being 7.9% in April 2021; women and trans people are less likely to be given rewards at work than men, from promotions and pay rises, to mentoring opportunities and project leadership; 33% of trans workers have also reported being actively discriminated against during the application process; and of course, the office remains loaded with fears around sexual harassment, improper conduct and unwanted attention.

That's why it's more important than ever to provide a work space that is safe and comfortable for female and gender minority employees. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, the UK and Europe have seen a revolution when it comes to coworking. Little by little, inclusive coworking spaces began popping up across the continent, specifically designed to provide a safe and accepting working environment for women and gender diverse communities. From women-only offices, to spaces offering childcare, for the first time, working men were no longer the priority.

And it's not just about safety either. Recent research indicates that women feel better when working with other women. The study, which was conducted by Boston College in 2018, found that women who worked in occupations with over 90% male workers experienced 52% higher stress levels than those working in occupations made up of less than 10% male staff. Contrastingly, the study found that gender ratios, no matter the split, had no emotional effect on male workers.

These unpleasant feelings were found to predict stress levels and increase the likelihood of absenteeism, factors which were found to threaten job security.

That's why here at NearU, we're proud to work with a number of fantastic flexible work spaces taking active steps to inclusivity. So here is a non-exhaustive list of a couple of hosts we think are pretty awesome.

Created and designed with women in mind, Maven in Winchester is a hub for diverse collaboration. While the space doesn't exclude anyone, it takes a women and gender minority-first approach so as to encourage discriminated communities to take centre stage in business. Respect is one of the core principles of their 'Maven Manifesto', and they expect members of the so-called 'Maven Haven' to be each other's biggest cheerleaders.

"We absolutely do not tolerate sexist, racist, xenophobic, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, classist or otherwise discriminatory language," it reads.  "We work together to commit wholeheartedly to creating a space that is free from harassment, judgement or hate and that allows you, our Mavens to grow and fully be yourselves." Sounds pretty Haven-ly if you ask us.

You may be familiar with this space thanks to our recent flexible work space guide to Zurich. But if you didn't catch it, let us re-introduce them. Tadah are committed to productivity coupled with accessibility. As well as offering a stylish coworking area which has been renovated to encourage focussed work, they offer professional childcare services on-site for tots between 3 months and 6 years. You'll also find dedicated breastfeeding and pumping stations dotted around the office.

Childcare duties cause problems at work for both parents, but mothers are often faced with the brunt of the burden. "Not having enough childcare for working parents risks reversing decades of progress women have made in the labour market, and increasing the gender pay gap – as well as having a damaging impact on our national economic productivity," a recent report by TUC stated. Further findings showed that 56,000 women a year are forced out of employment due to pregnancy or maternity leave, and only 13% of mums' earnings increased in the 5 years after childbirth compared to 26% of dads'. Thus, easy access to childcare should be an absolute must for employers hoping to retain female talent.

Similar to Maven, The Hearth, is a women-focussed flexible workspace that seeks to create a safe community for women and gender diverse individuals to collaborate and get to know one another. As well as being a place of work, The Hearth also offers wellness treatments, a relaxing lounge for winding down after work, and curated events. Founded by two long-time best friends, Oi Leng and Samira, this space is truly all about creating a supportive community to help their members fulfil their potential.

They're also surrounded by some wonderful neighbours in the north-west London suburb of Queen's Park. You can check out our recent workspace guide to the area here.

Colony, which is made up of three (soon to be four) Manchester-based buildings, stretching from Piccadilly to Ancoats, has a welcoming communal vibe that by nature attracts diverse guests. While they haven't based themselves on catering to a specific niche as the above spaces have, they take special care of those who menstruate. Throughout their flexible workspace, you'll find free sanitary products on offer in the bathroom, a touch that is sure to go a long way with women and non-binary folk who experience periods.

This topic has been hotly contested in Parliament over the last decade. In 2020, Scotland made headlines as it became the first country in the world to offer free period products. Even more recently, Pogo Studio, an Edinburgh-based company, launched an app that would allow people to locate such products, making it easier than ever to have a comfortable period. While the change is yet to happen in England, we're grateful to hosts like Colony for taking women and those who menstruate into account at their spaces.