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A critical part of our lives is given to our work – it takes up so much of our time. So, the move to make flexible working the default, with its prospects for bringing better living and working conditions, should be a serious subject for discussion and thorough consultation between employers and workers. No assumptions or previously accepted norms should be left unturned.
Latest plans to boost the uptake of flexible working through the new dynamics of a ‘right to ask’ and ‘duty to consider’ are likely to continue to bring uncertainty to both workers and employers - to those in non-office-based professions, those in roles beyond the scope of full-time employment and those that fall outside the nine-to-five schedule. These plans don’t seem, however, to address the existing barriers to making flexibility core to small and medium-sized enterprises and central to an organisation’s culture, strategy and operations. Neither do they support calls from many for reform to go beyond seeking contractual changes to employment terms and conditions.
To my mind, moves to facilitate flexible working will always be welcome when workers increasingly need support with work-life events, such as eldercare or childcare, with women - especially working mothers and caregivers - needing that extra degree of flexibility.
We should welcome this kind of debate that looks holistically at worker-centric working models based on providing greater independence and flexibility for employees in terms of how they work. Yet, it seems we are still a long way from enjoying a ‘right to have’ that works for all. With the UK known to have adopted a rather slow and gradual extension of the ‘right to request’ flexible working since it first took effect in 2003 (including the changes in provisions in 2007, 2014 and, more recently, in 2023 and 2024), this more open attitude to different working patterns comes not before time.
But further enshrining flexible working rights in law will not happen overnight. It will require an overarching strategy to create a more supportive working environment, one that enables employees to work and remain at work with a motivated and productive mindset. Neither has the historical lack of flexibility been tackled in job roles beyond the scope of full-time employment, or the needs of working mothers and caregivers been properly considered.
The current landscape, which has formed more prominently over the past twenty-five years, represents an acceptance that all workers deserve some degree of ‘de facto’ flexibility, not just for those employed in office-based jobs or in full-time employment arrangements.
Flexibility brings health and efficiency
This debate is not being staged in a vacuum. It comes after discussion on the four-day week or compressed hours has been making headlines on a daily basis. We also had the world’s largest four-day working week trial, comprising 61 companies and around 2,900 workers, caried out in the UK from June to December 2022. Similarly, other trials have been implemented in the United States, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Canada, Spain, Ireland and Iceland.
The UK study, in summary, pointed to substantial benefits in the form of a less stressed workforce, decreased levels of anxiety and sleep deprivation, and a general improvement in workers’ mental and physical health[1]. Beyond the scope of this study, it is increasingly evidenced that longer working hours can be associated with fatigue, cardiovascular disease, greater capacity for human error and work injuries.
A more sustainable and inclusive flexible working strategy, if effectively implemented, could benefit ageing workers who are currently approaching retirement age; it could support those with eldercare and childcare needs; or it could help to address some of the barriers that workers with long-term health conditions can face, reducing healthcare costs and improving productivity due to less burnout.
What’s the global view on working time?
Globally, the average work week is around 37 hours, but there are some regions known for having a complex working culture with long work hours, such as South Korea, which in late 2023, and after public outcry, failed to extend its maximum workweek from 52 to 69 hours, supposedly to provide companies with more flexibility on overtime. Closer to the UK, Greece made changes in legislation to introduce a six-day workweek with the ultimate goal of boosting the economy.
Conversely, other countries appear to be following a growing trend towards shorter workweeks, demystifying the narrative around productivity versus work-life balance and employee wellbeing. In Singapore, a shorter work week is gaining popularity. In 2022, Belgium passed legislation allowing workers to condense their hours into four days.
Where does this leave business?
This trend and the potential for legislation recognises the need for workplaces to be more worker-friendly, responsible and more effective in accommodating individual needs - essentially, having a whole-person holistic view and management approach that values and supports people. It’s also about getting the culture right - it’s important businesses work towards building robust cultures that support the welfare of workers more holistically and help respect the principle that every job deserves some degree of flexibility.
Rather than waiting for these changes simply to materialise, organisations should be questioning themselves on the practicalities of introducing and integrating flexible working policies and improvements into the workplace. In practical terms, this will require a two-way process, characterised by an ongoing discussion and subsequent interactions between workers and employers (and their representatives, where they exist), with the opportunity to talk in depth about the desired working arrangement and consider how it might be accommodated.
Continuing to experiment, adjust and adapt in achieving good flexible working should now be considered ‘business as usual’.
About the author
Ivan Williams Jimenez is a Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), where he leads on global regulatory-related advocacy, policy and practice on occupational safety and health, workplace wellbeing and social sustainability.
[1] Lewis et al. The UK’s four-day week pilot. 4 Day week global. February 2023.
Dr Ivan Williams Jimenez
