Negative attitudes to flexible working could be an obstacle to the government’s ambitious Get Britain Working (GBW) reforms, research has suggested.
Earlier this week, the government published its GBW white paper outlining ambitious plans to reform employment support and achieve an 80 percent employment rate.
However, Brightmine research found that while flexible working is the norm across the UK with 99 percent of employers offering it, there is a disconnect between employee expectations and business delivery. This disconnect could act as a barrier to flexible work approaches that enable people to get back into work and stay in work.
The research with 398 organisations across different sectors found that more than a quarter (28.9 percent) of respondents said some senior leaders do not appreciate the benefits of flexible working and value presence over flexibility.
Almost a third (31.8 percent) of employers do not train line managers in flexible working practices despite managers being key to its success, while 13.9 percent of senior leaders are indifferent to this approach to working. These attitudes are creating a disconnect between leadership and employees on the value and execution of flexibility, Brightmine said, while a lack of training among managers on flexible working practices and options, often stops employers and employees reaching a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Yet, more than two fifths (44.8 percent) of senior leaders actively practice and promote flexible working.
Hybrid working as an option has declined slightly from 93 percent adoption in 2022 to 85.5 percent in 2024. Hybrid working is not without its challenges, with team collaboration and managing perceptions of fairness being the main issues (cited by 54 percent and 53.7 percent of organisations respectively).
In contrast, the use of compressed hours is rising. This approach is now offered by nearly half (48 percent) of businesses, with larger organisations leading this adoption at 68.4 percent. This is against the backdrop of ongoing discussions around the benefits of a 4-day working week.
The government has said that it will make flexible working the default, however, Brightmine highlighted that the changes in the Employment Rights Bill mean that employers can still refuse a request for flexible working on one of the existing grounds.
Following the introduction of the legal right to request flexible working from day one in April 2024, 18.2 percent of organisations reported an increase. Brightmine said that “surprisingly” the majority of requests came from employees who had been with their employer for over two years, rather than new recruits.
Sheila Attwood, senior content manager, data and HR insights at Brightmine, said: “The practice of flexible working has evolved over the last two decades. Long gone are the days of eight-hour, office-based days for most employees. However, with high-profile organisations issuing return to office mandates, senior leaders are in danger of losing out on key talent.
“A common misconception is that flexible working is an employee benefit that comes at a cost to the employer because employees are less productive when they work flexibly. In reality, organisations that offer flexible working enjoy huge business benefits.
“Flexible working is one of the most effective approaches to enhancing employee satisfaction, which ultimately benefits businesses by fostering increased productivity. Furthermore, flexibility significantly contributes to cultivating a more inclusive workplace environment.
“Changes in the law may lead to more flexible working requests and more employment tribunal claims where there will be greater scrutiny of an employer’s refusal. In preparation HR teams should review how their organisation handles flexible working requests.
“It is important for employers that are embedding flexible working into their organisation to monitor that certain groups are not being favoured over others. For example, an employer may face perceptions of unfairness and a backlash if it allows administrative staff to work flexibly while frontline workers who must be physically present are denied any flexible working options. Employers should consider alternatives and talk to people about their preferences – for instance, if hybrid/remote working is not feasible for frontline staff, what about other forms of flexibility, such as flexitime or shift-swapping? Offering compromises like this will lead to higher levels of engagement and productivity and improved business outcomes.”
