Quarter of UK workforce have turned down a job for not offering flexible working

A new study claims that UK workers of all ages have shown a demand for flexible working. According to the research of 2,300 people commissioned by communications technology firm TeleWare, employees are actively turning down jobs that don’t offer flexible working. A quarter of all employees have turned down a job in the past for this reason. Whilst a further third (31 percent) would actively do so. Although the proportion of those that have done so is higher amongst millennials (40 percent), three in 10 (29 percent) employees over 45 would turn down a job if flexible working options were not on offer.

Despite the legal right to request flexible working, coupled with widespread technology on hand to enable a more mobile workforce, less than three in 10 (29 %) UK employees work for companies that operate flexible working schemes for all. One in five companies only allowing those of a certain level of seniority to work flexibly. This short-sighted practice is handicapping employers search for the best talent according to the authors. Flexible working is important to employees of all ages, claims the report. Those in the 25–34 year-old bracket are the most enthusiastic with 93% saying it’s important for them to be able to choose both the hours they work and the place they work from. But the drop in importance expressed by those aged 55 years and older is small, with 82% still saying flexi-hours and ability to choose where they work is important to them.