Flexible, but is it working?

A recent a report by the CIPD found that 9 in every 10 employers are now offering flexible working. We look at what this means in practice for both employers and employees.

Post-pandemic working practices have changed employees’ expectations of how, when and where they will work. For employers, this means that many (the CIPD suggest over 60%) feel that they now need to offer flexible working when recruiting to offer a value proposition.

While some commentators have suggested that making flexible working requests a ‘day-one’ right would cause difficulty for employers, we believe that it has encouraged businesses to be more innovative in their job designs, offering flexibility from the outset, or making it a component part of their recruitment process. Many believe this to be more manageable than having to react to requests further down the line. Fundamentally, however, offering flexibility must remain aligned to the business’ strategic goals, so it’s important to strike the right balance between the business and the individual’s needs. Nevertheless, the CIPD report suggests that offering more flexibility has reduced turnover, enabled employers to attract more skilled workers, improved wellbeing and led to greater job satisfaction and productivity.

So, all seems to be rosy, right? Wrong. A recent report by Acas found that workers’ awareness of their flexible working rights remained remarkably low (as little as 30% of the workforce). Furthermore, access to flexible working isn’t equal, despite its promise of more inclusivity.  A report by Timewise found the national workforce to be splitting into two tiers, with a significant proportion of frontline workers in public services, retail and construction locked into traditional working practices. As many of these roles attract lower pay, there is the additional risk of fuelling income inequality. A gulf in access to technology for hybrid working between the wealthiest and poorest households was also seen to be a contributing factor.

Also, employers must not offer ersatz flexibility that undermines job security; for example, by defaulting to zero-hours contracts. As the Employment Rights Bill continues its progress through parliament, employers should be mindful of the expected reforms that will provide extra protection for those employed on such a basis.

With work-life balance continuing to rank as the most significant driver for job seekers in 2025, employers need to think imaginatively about how to fulfil workers’ needs while consistently striving to improve performance. Making a concerted effort to create a culture of trust and flexibility, focusing on outcomes rather than hours and empowering employees to be accountable for their own time are ways in which this might be achieved. Through individuality in job design there is a timely opportunity for businesses to embrace flexibility and create compliant, inclusive and fulfilling workplaces that bring benefit to all.