Here's what a 14-point gender gap in "boomerang" return rates reveals about how companies handle layoffs—and why it matters for your bottom line.
Remember when companies couldn't stop talking about "the great resignation"? Now many of those same employers are begging former workers to come back.
But there's a problem: women aren't answering the phone.
The Numbers Don't Lie
A new Zety survey of 1,000 recently laid-off workers found that while 46% of all respondents would return to a former employer, that number jumps to 53% for men—and drops to just 39% for women.
That's a 14-point gender gap. And it's not random.
Why Women Are Walking Away
Two major factors are driving the divide:
1. Fairness (Or Lack Thereof)
61% of women said their layoff wasn't handled fairly or honestly. For men? That number was 56%.
2. No Severance, No Loyalty
Here's the kicker: 66% of women received zero severance when they were let go. Among men, it was 60%.
And even when women did get severance? A Challenger, Gray & Christmas report found they received 4.6% less than their male counterparts across all industries.
The Bigger Picture Is Even Worse
This isn't happening in a vacuum. Women face higher layoff risks across the board. Last January alone, 91,000 women left the workforce while only 10,000 men joined it.
Black women are being hit especially hard—an estimated **600,000 have been pushed out of the workplace** since January 2025, compounded by the rollback of DEI initiatives.
Meanwhile, return-to-office mandates are forcing many women to choose between their careers and caring for children or aging parents.
What Employers Need to Understand
As Challenger CEO John Challenger put it: "Your former people are your people. How you part ways says everything about who you are as an employer."
With boomerang hires now making up 3.4% of all new hires, how you treat departing employees isn't just an HR issue—it's a recruitment strategy.
If you want former employees to come back when you need them, treat them right when you let them go. Clear communication. Fair severance. Basic respect.
Women are watching. And right now, they're not impressed.