Flexible Work Arrangements, Workplace Equity, and Nonprofit Workplaces in the United States During COVID-19

Introduction. Flexible work arrangements, including where work is performed (e.g., remote work), when work is done (e.g., flexible schedules), and how work is organized (e.g., virtual meetings), expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This expansion has raised important questions about their implications for workplace equity in nonprofit organizations, an area that remains insufficiently examined. Guided by organizational justice and organizational system frameworks, this study investigated whether nonprofit leaders’ reports of employee access to flexible work arrangements were associated with workplace equity across several organizational domains, including policies and practices, planning and evaluation, roles and accountabilities, organizational culture and climate, and communication. Methods. Data were drawn from the 2021 Boston Workplace Equity Study, an exploratory survey of nonprofit organizational leaders (n = 112). Ordinary least squares regression models were used to assess associations between access to flexible work arrangements and workplace equity, controlling for organizational size, percentage of women employees, and percentage of employees of color. Results. Greater reported access to flexible work arrangements was associated with higher levels of workplace equity (b = .12, p < .05). Small organizations reported higher workplace equity than medium-sized organizations, and organizations with a higher proportion of employees of color also reported greater workplace equity. Interaction models suggested that the positive association between flexible work arrangements and workplace equity was stronger when leaders reported higher employee pressures (b = .20, p < .10), while no significant moderation effect was observed for organizational pressures or organizational resilience. Discussion. These results underscore the potential for flexible work arrangements to serve not only as a staffing strategy but also as an organizational resource that supports equity, particularly in contexts where employees experience heightened pressures. This study highlights the need to integrate flexibility into comprehensive organizational systems that promote fairness and inclusion in nonprofit workplaces.