Starbucks is the latest employer to call people back to work. The coffee chain is requiring corporate workers to be in the office four days a week starting in October. Meanwhile, more than five years after many people were forced to start working from home, we’re learning more about the demographics of who is coming back in person.

The latest Labor Department survey shows 29% of men working from home, down from 34% in 2023. But the number of women working from home has stayed flat at 36%.

These stats from the Labor Department don’t come with a lot of context. For instance, more men back at work could have something to do with the kind of work or roles they’re in. Wen Fan who studies the future of work at Boston College said men are more likely to be managers.

“And we know that managers are far more likely to go back to office compared with non-managers,” Fan said.

The disparity could also have something to do with family and gender dynamics. Fan said women are expected to shoulder more of the responsibility of home and childcare.

“Men are still expected to climb up the career ladder, to show that they’re highly committed to their job,” said Fan. “And one way to demonstrate that is by showing their loyalty to the organization to go back to the office.”

It’s hard to characterize this dynamic of fewer women working in person as “good” or “bad.”

“It’s really a double-edged sword,” Fan said.

For one, surveys show managers prefer their employees in office, according to Jerry Jacobs, president of the Work and Family Researchers Network, instead of working from home.

“There’s a concern that if you take advantage of that you’re going to be seen as being on the mommy track,” Jacobs said.

Even when bosses don’t have this bias, remote workers can still be left behind.

“You know, out of sight out of mind,” Jacobs said.

Remote workers can be passed over for new opportunities, recognition and promotions, which in the long run could mean a less diverse workforce, especially in the upper ranks.

At the same time, remote work allows more women to work, and in some cases, earn more money. Previously, work was a lot less flexible for women.

“If they found a better opportunity somewhere else, they couldn’t necessarily take it if they had a partner who couldn’t move,” said Kathleen Gerson, a sociology professor at NYU.

If the husband earned more, their job would be the priority. With remote work, the job pool widens. Ultimately, Gerson believes gender disparities in remote and in-person work can work. As long as we all work at it.

“How do we rethink what equity means for workers,” Gerson asked.

It’s on employers to figure it out.