In April 2024, employees in the UK were given the right to ask if they could work flexibly from their first day on the job. It’s a law change that not all bosses are going to be on board with, so it helps employees to know their rights.
A survey by LogMeIn, a technology company, cited in The Financial Times found that 56% of workers were considering a request for flexible working. In comparison, only 27 per cent of employers expected staff to make such a request. Meanwhile a poll by Glassdoor, a careers website, found that many staff were oblivious to the fact they could even request flexible working: 17% of staff planned an application but 73% were unaware of the law change.
Employees now have a right to request to work from home, part-time or in shifts from their employers. It’s worth noting that employers still have no obligation to grant this. Employers retain the right to refuse a request, as long as they consider it in a “reasonable manner”. Nevertheless, this is a move which could shake up working habits. And it is important to remember that granting flexible hours is a permanent change with no right for return.
Working from home;either part-time or in shifts is soon going to be seen as simply part of modern office life. And while employers will not be legally compelled to grant flexible working, it does represent a sea change in attitudes. Measures like these are undoubtedly important for parents and carers whose lifestyles demand flexibility. They are also important for the rest of us. It’s recognition that work has to fit around different home circumstances. It is a sign that life at work and at home will become further intertwined. It is also a natural progression from the accepted idea that flexible working benefits business. A 2013 study by the Institute of Leadership and Management found that 82% of managers believe flexible working benefits their business, citing improvements in productivity.
As flexible working becomes more ingrained in our perception of work, technology will become ever more important. Our office will become the cloud, while the only thing we’ll be tied to is our remote desktop. Broadband and video conferencing will become increasingly necessary for communication. Office space will still remain vital - but no longer simply to store documents or to house rows and rows of workers. It’ll be a place to enhance the wellbeing of employees and foster creativity, collaboration and innovation. Going to the office will also become an option rather than a requirement. Get ready to see more standing desks, benches, brainstorming areas and outdoor spaces.
But working from home can present its own hurdles. When work and home blur into one it can become difficult to switch off. This can lead to unhappy and unproductive staff. That’s why spaces dedicated to working remain important. This is also why working environments need to work harder themselves. Co-working spaces, once the domain of the self-employed creative type, are likely to become more often used by employees who until recently had a nine-to-five office job. They might book out a desk to avoid the traffic, get out of the office, meet people from other businesses and work in a stimulating and energising environment.
Stagnation doesn’t breed innovation; working with a like-minded and varied workforce does. If your staff are able to get out of the office more, perhaps they could bring back some great ideas.
