As Covid-19 develops its legacy and imprints itself upon all of us, we have to start questioning the impact that lockdown and furlough has had on the home life.

There is a strong risk that part of the workforce, and particularly women, may be getting thrown back to the ‘cold war’ times.

Of course, many households will either say that they are sharing the chores 50/50 or say, well, the other partner is furloughed so they should do the heavy lifting. I don’t believe this approach of allowing one person to take the burden of the household is particularly helpful.

What we see, and what the French appear to have acknowledged for years, is that often one partner (usually the woman) has to plan the chores, the activities, and tends to be the main ‘go to’ person on the local WhatsApp group.

This leaves them with the mental burden of running the household and, in true reflection, carrying out 75 per cent of the activity simply because they are project managers – and this is often in addition to their day job.

One could even say that it reflects many large corporates – where the women develop, organise, and deploy a project whilst a front person and team take the credit.

This is in itself on a level correct, but who was the mastermind behind the project is often not forgotten because that would suggest they were acknowledged at some point, but simply not seen at all. This is because the project was seamlessly achieved, and the work is often done and always has been done; it is part of the everyday fabric.

They become the “doers” but what businesses are overlooking to their detriment is that those who are doers at this level are also often simultaneously strategic planning, organising and more. The doing was a simple icing on the cake – the label of doer is therefore not fitting. Businesses have form in overlooking women in a crisis – look at the 2008 financial crisis which had a disproportionate impact on women.

The gender stereotype has been with us for years, and I would hope that we have moved on from such times as the Second World War where women had made progress in terms of employment, albeit out of necessity, only to then have that progress reversed.

No one has been left untouched by this epidemic. We are all suffering from the effects of the virus in some form. Research from Kings College of London found that women are suffering more in terms of feeling the pressure of work and keeping on top of home demands such as domestic chores and childcare.

The issue of gender is also not only on the table for employers, but also one to be addressed at home. For business in this very moment we are now on the cusp of turnaround and possible pivoting. The normal approach for cutting costs is to aim at the biggest expense, which is often the payroll – the employees.

One thing that many businesses who survived the 2008 financial crisis and surged forward have said is that their success was partly down to retention of their staff or alterations made to how they managed to keep their employees.

We have all seen how we can “work from home” but also, the hours may not be the traditional set, and does it matter if production of work has not decreased? Can we find another way of saving cash instead of cutting jobs completely – maybe reducing everyone’s hours?

There are, of course, a number of alternatives but what I would suggest businesses do is ask themselves can we find another way, not the main road that traditionally we have walked along, but a new collaborative path with full consultation with all the employees, whether legally required or not.

You may be surprised at the solutions people come up with to stay in a job that makes them happy. Stop – pivot and take in a new perspective.

Crisis could result in women being thrown back to cold war times - Rashmi Dube