Low paid workers have the least flexible working, and the gap between the number of flexible workers on the lowest and highest salaries has increased in the last year, according to figures from the Flex for Life 2023 report from advocacy group Flexibility Works. Just half (51 percent) of workers surveyed for the report earning less than £20,000 a year work flexibly, compared with eight in ten (80 percent) workers earning more than £50,000. The figures are from an analysis of flexible working in Scotland, which is supported by the Scottish Government and The Hunter Foundation. More →

Workers are increasingly demanding autonomy and flexible working options, but employers remain slow to respond, with only a small percentage increasing the number of flexible or remote roles, according to a new poll.  Based on a survey of 4,500 people including 500 small and medium-sized business owners, Sonovate’s report, ‘The Future World of Work’ [registration] claims that although 70 percent of businesses acknowledge that the most skilled people will only work under conditions that favour them, they had done little to enable employees to work more flexibly and reduce outgoings. More →

Future Forum, a consortium launched by Slack with founding partners Boston Consulting Group, MillerKnoll, and MLT has published the latest findings from its global Pulse survey, which suggest that flexible working plays a key role in fostering organisational culture and has a significant positive impact on productivity. According to the poll, flexible workers were 57 percent more likely to say that their company culture has improved over the past two years compared with those required to be on-site five days a week—and they cited flexible working policies as the primary reason their culture is changing for the better. More →

A survey from CBRE claims that the imposition of more hybrid and flexible working has been an ‘unexpected gift’ for both employers and employees. The poll of 20,000 employees worldwide suggests that flexibility plays an important role for both employee and employer decision making. Other benefits include increased productivity and more innovative thinking. Flexibility about where and when work takes place was particularly important to workers. Around 40 percent of workers both globally and in the UK, noted flexibility as the primary factor in assessing job opportunities, with a company’s commitment to work-life balance another crucial factor. More →

Two thirds of UK businesses believe offering flexible working to their employees is crucial if they are to successfully retain and attract talent, according to a new report. Businesses don’t believe they cannot compete on salary alone and are instead offering flexibility to stay competitive. Over half (52 percent) of businesses have increased salaries to attract talented workers, but say wages rises can’t continue at the rate they have been going. The second Future World of Work report from Sonovate is based on quantitative research from 4,000 people and 500 small and medium-sized business owners, as well as qualitative interviews with commentators from the future of work, employment and fintech sectors. More →

Four in five (80 percent) UK businesses believe that flexible working arrangements are critical to their future success, a new poll from DocuSign claims. Offering employees the flexibility of where and when they work is seen as a competitive advantage by 75 percent of businesses while the large majority (82 percent) consider it essential in attracting and retaining the right talent and meeting the demands of the future workforce. More →