Many UK workers still face barriers to flexible work, finds research

One twelvemonth aft the UK's Flexible Working Act, galore workers inactive look barriers to flexible enactment arrangements, according to a survey by Phoenix Group.

The probe highlights that astir 1 successful 3 oregon 28% workers who requested flexible moving had their requests denied owed to leader concerns astir productivity.

This indicates ongoing challenges contempt the law's intent to facilitate flexible moving from time one.

The survey reveals that 68% of workers judge they would beryllium much businesslike with flexible working, having power implicit their hours and enactment location.

However, lone 21% of workers successfully applied for flexible moving successful the past year, portion an adjacent percent had their requests denied.

This suggests a disconnect betwixt idiosyncratic aspirations and leader practices.

Phoenix Group main radical serviceman Sara Thompson said: “The instauration of the Flexible Working Act is an important instrumentality to assistance workers equilibrium their jobs with different responsibilities and interests extracurricular of work. It is truthful disappointing that galore are facing barriers with immoderate employers disquieted astir however flexibility could interaction connected a worker’s productivity.”

Phoenix Insights' probe shows that 62% of workers tendency flexibility successful their moving hours, and 43% privation flexibility successful their enactment location.

Despite these preferences, galore requests are denied owed to employers' disbelief successful flexibility (27%), concern needs (24%), and a deficiency of resources (21%).

These findings underline the spread betwixt idiosyncratic expectations and leader provisions.

Since the law's enactment, astir workers person not altered their moving arrangements.

Only 15% person made changes, with 78% continuing nether existing conditions.

Among those who adapted, the astir communal alteration was moving full-time with distant options, with men (65%) much apt than women (45%) to marque this adjustment.

Thompson added: “As the request for flexibility grows, it is successful employers’ champion interests to prosecute proactively with their workforce and, wherever possible, to alteration their workers to enactment successful a flexible way, alongside managing concern needs.”

Despite the Flexible Working Act's provisions, consciousness remains a important issue.

More than fractional of workers (55%) are unaware of their entitlements nether the Act, and much than one-third (36%) study that their leader oregon manager has ne'er mentioned it.

Thompson concluded: “Those businesses that neglect to clasp flexible moving hazard losing talent, peculiarly among parents, carers, and older workers who tin payment astir from greater flexibility. At Phoenix, we person fostered an situation wherever flexible moving is the norm.