Are flexible working hours open to all?

Being able to move your workspace from the boardroom to the bedroom may feel like a dream, but for many UK workers flexible working is now an everyday reality.

The same can’t be said for everyone though – as millennials appear to be excluded from the perks of flexible working.

A study found that eight in 10 (84 per cent) of office-based millennial employees do not work from home in an average working week, with 82 per centsaying they are not able or allowed to.

The research from global recruitment specialists PageGroup, which surveyed over 1,000 UK office workers, also found that six in 10 (60 per cent) millennials who have worked (or have asked to work) flexibly have felt judged or penalised for doing so; of those, just under half (47 per cent) have felt judged by company management or senior leadership; and two in 10 (20 per cent) millennial respondents said they have been actively refusedflexibleworkingoptions.

Oliver Watson, Executive Board Director for UK and North America at PageGroup, says: “There is an increasing demand for flexible working options among UK employees, especially from the newest generation of workers. As this ‘Generation FL-X’ continues to enter the workplace, businesses must prioritise accommodating the expectations of all employees, and challenge the old school stigma which still appears to prevail.

“Placing restrictions on flexible working – encouraging or excluding certain employees – is counter-intuitive. Truly flexible working should be open to all, indiscriminate ofage,gender,seniorityorrole.”

Every employee has a right to request flexible working hours. According to ACAS, employees can request flexible working after 26 weeks in employment under the Employment Rights Act 1996.

“For flexible working to really move forward in the UK, employers must shift their thinking from presenteeism to productivity,” adds Watson.

“Byempoweringemployees to take charge of their productivity–somethingwhich46per cent of respondents called out as a benefit of flexible working – businesses will not only be rewarded with increased employee loyalty, but also with a much more efficient workforce and a high trust, high performance culture.”