Jean-Paul Sartre once said: “Hell is other people.”
The French philosopher would hardly receive any counterarguments from many working women.
There's a reason why many women are freelancing, taking contract or gig jobs and moving away from the traditional workplace, and it's not just about flexible hours.
They don't want to deal with colleagues.
According to a survey by Jitjatjo, 77 percent of women say that working at a job is more attractive than returning to the office because they no longer want to deal with colleagues. Gig work is a temporary, freelance or contract job, either remote or on-site. Jitjatjo recruits workers for these types of jobs and provides associated scheduling software.
The online survey of 1,012 adults, roughly equally split between men and women, was conducted for Jitjatjo from December 11-13, 2023 by Propeller Insights, a market research firm.
Respondents were able to provide several reasons why they find day jobs more attractive than working in an office. However, most women cited the lack of interaction with colleagues.
For example, 60% of women reported flexibility; 58% set their own working hours; and 46% by avoiding time-consuming commutes.
Only 23% of men said not having to deal with colleagues was an attractive aspect of gig jobs. 55% cited the elimination of commuting and 41% cited the ability to set their own working hours.
Jitjatjo CEO Tim Chatfield said some women may have had negative experiences with colleagues at a previous workplace or simply prefer to work independently.
Jasmine Tucker, vice president of research at the National Women's Law Center, suggested there are deeper issues.
“The traditional workplace doesn’t work for women for a number of reasons,” says Tucker, whose research focuses on women and the economy and pay gaps in the workplace.
“It's the old-boy network” that puts women at a disadvantage when it comes to promotions and raises, especially in male-dominated environments like factory floors and executive suites, says Tucker, who was contacted by a USA TODAY reporter for comment on survey results. “Women do not always feel empowered and comfortable” in situations where men with similar backgrounds form tight-knit cliques.
A feeling of discomfort with colleagues is also likely related to the need for flexibility and work-life balance, she says. If an employee needs to pick up a child at school, she might feel uncomfortable asking her boss for permission, Tucker says.
During the pandemic, both women and men enjoyed the freedom to work remotely and care for children who were in distance learning. With many companies now requiring their employees to return to the office at least part-time, some women are choosing other career paths.
According to the Jitjatjo survey, 38 percent of men and 17 percent of women describe themselves as flexible or gig workers. About 14% of men and 17% of women said they had worked flexibly in the past.
In 2022, 36% of U.S. workers, or 58 million Americans, identified themselves as independent workers, toiling as tutors, ride-hailing drivers, food delivery drivers, and substitute teachers, among other jobs, either as a full-time job or as a side hustle, according to a McKinsey report. That was up from 27% in 2016.
Jitjatjo's Chatfield says the number of women moving to gig work is growing much faster than men.
“What we believe drives the gig workforce is a burning desire for work to adapt to your lifestyle choices, rather than for work to dictate what lifestyle you choose,” Chatfield says.
Despite the growing popularity of gig jobs, many workers are unwilling to talk about it.
Sixty percent of men and 44 percent of women said they had chosen not to tell friends or family about their participation in the gig economy at some point in their lives.
31 percent of men and 44 percent of women said it was just a side hustle and they would prefer if others didn't know about it. 32 percent of men and 27 percent of women said it was easier not to discuss because friends and family didn't understand the gig economy.
And about 15% of all survey respondents said they kept their performances to themselves because they felt like a failure.
Paul Davidson covers the economy and job market for USA TODAY
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