Child zoom bombs. A thread.... There have been some awesome examples in the last couple of days where women have been undertaking live TV interviews from home and their kids have marched in to steal the limelight. There's been much talk of how this is the way things are now.

There has been much tolerance and 'oh how cute' comments. Let me begin by saying working from home with kids is hard, exhausting, demanding. Everyone who is doing it and still holding down a job is a bloody here. But there might well be consequences in the future.

Flexible working is stigmatised. Women who do it (especially when they reduce their hours) end up doing more domestic labour and childcare. Part time work is known as career death and leads to pay stagnation and career marginalisation.

Research shows that people have negative perceptions of flexible workers. They think they are harder to manage, less committed, not as productive. (Note look up @HeejungChung's work for more on this). So what will be the long term impact of people's perceptions on women who...

have had to work with their kids on their lap, deal with tantrums mid-meeting or had an epic zoom bomb situation? Or take furlough leave because they had no childcare? Do we really believe in the future these women won't be judged or that career implications will not result?

Maybe I am just an old cynic. But when the new normal finally arrives, whatever that may be, I fear we will return to judging and stereotyping those who have juggled and striven - just like we always did. And yes, I have already seen the eye-rolls in the Zoom window.