Flexible working ‘skewed’ to higher earners

THE benefits of flexible working are being ‘skewed’ towards higher earners, new research has found.

Only half of those earning less than £20,000 have flexible working, compared with 80 per cent of those on a salary of more than £50,000 a year, the study found.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, many people retained flexible start and finish times or continued to work from home.

Nikki Slowey, director and cofounder of Flexibility Works, which carried out the research and supports companies to develop flexible working, said: ‘We’re concerned that while the pandemic has increased flexible working in Scotland overall, the benefits are skewed towards workers on higher incomes where good flexible working keeps getting better, while little

‘Expect workers to earn the right’

changes for workers on the lowest incomes.’

Ms Slowey said a ‘lack of trust is likely to be part of the problem’, adding that some employers ‘still expect workers to “earn the right” to work flexibly’.

The research, conducted with the support of the Scottish Government and the Hunter Foundation, questioned more than 1,000 workers, 248 employers and 200 unemployed Scots who are looking for a job. It was found that salary was often the key difference when it comes to flexible working, with Ms Slowey adding: ‘Higher earners always have significantly more flexibility than lower earners.’

Fair Work Secretary Neil Gray said the research ‘underlines that more can be done to continue encouraging employers to unlock more vacancies to flexible work... and to support workers in lower-paid roles into better and more flexible work’.