The RTO Rules Are Rigged

This Week’s Signal

Here’s the most depressing thing I learned this week: according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, since January, 212,000 women ages 20 and up have left the workforce while 44,000 men joined.

The steepest drop? Women 25-44 with a child under five. Their labor force participation fell almost three points in just six months, from 69.7% to 66.9%.

One big reason: the strange death of flexible work. In a country with virtually no public childcare support, flexible work has been a lifeline. But among Fortune 500 companies, full-time in-office mandates nearly doubled in the last six months, from 13% to 24%.

What We’re Missing

Rigid return-to-office rules aren’t just annoying. They’re forcing women into no-win choices.

The “hybrid doesn’t work” claim collapses under real data: a recent Stanford-led Trip.com trial found productivity and promotions held steady, and turnover fell 33% (saving millions). McKinsey’s most current findings show hybrid companies were more likely to post double-digit revenue growth, and public-sector trials showed a 12% productivity boost. Flexibility isn’t killing the bottom line — it’s improving it.

When flexibility disappears, women are often the ones who leave. Not because they’re trying to care for kids during work hours, but because full-time office schedules make securing and affording childcare nearly impossible. Costs are up 29% since 2020 to $13,128 a year on average. In Colorado, my 1-year-old’s nanny share cost nearly twice in-state tuition at CU Boulder.

And leaving against our will isn’t just an economic hit — it’s a health one. A 2025 JAMA study found a 63.6% jump since 2016 in mothers reporting “fair” or “poor” mental health, driven by financial strain, nonstop caregiving, and social isolation. Those stressors raise risks for anxiety, depression, sleep loss, and even heart disease.

What We’re Seeing

The data tells one story, but women are starting to write a louder one: turning inflexibility into fuel to build work on our own terms.

Women now make up 52.3% of U.S. freelancers, and that number’s only going up as we pick work that protects our health, our time, and our bank accounts from RTO mandates and runaway childcare costs.

A lot of us aren’t just dabbling, either. We’re becoming primary earners through entrepreneurship, consulting, contracting, and freelancing. Which means this isn’t about status anymore, it’s about money and power. Last year, women founded nearly half of all new U.S. businesses, up 69% since 2019, per Empower research.

And when women build, we don’t build alone. A few platforms helping to make the leap:

• The Mom Project – Allison Robinson’s brainchild connecting a million caregivers with flexible, family-friendly jobs.

• SheWorks! – Silvina Moschini’s global platform linking women to remote jobs that fit real life.

• Selfmade – Brit Morin’s virtual accelerator giving women the skills, mentorship, and confidence to turn ideas into income.

Founders (me included) will tell you: yeah, going out on your own is hard. But having full control of your time, your energy, and your headspace? That’s the kind of ROI that makes it all worth it.

What It Means

RTO mandates are not just a workplace trend — they are shaping women’s health.

Every hour lost to commuting is time stolen from sleep, exercise, preventive care, and simply feeling okay. The childcare bill is part of the pressure cooker, but the deeper issue is control. Without flexibility, women are being forced into choices that drain health and opportunity.

That’s why so many are going off on our own — not just to earn, but to live and thrive. When the system doesn’t work for us, we build one that does.

And honestly? That could be the healthiest reboot our generation ever takes.

With more signal and less noise, Spotting is your weekly lens on what’s next in women’s health and why. See you right here next time, in your inbox.

With hugs, science & freedom,
Abby

P.S. Whether this hits or misses for you, I’d love to hear your thoughts — just hit reply. Thanks for being here 🤗

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