Campaign for more flexible work hours

Most jobs do not offer flexible working despite the huge changes caused by the coronavirus crisis, new research suggests.

A study of more than six million job vacancies over the past year indicated that four out of five did not include an option to work flexibly.

Timewise, which campaigns for flexible working, said its findings showed the difficulty of finding jobs which demanded anything other than full-time, workplaceonly roles.

The proportion of job vacancies in the UK which offered flexible options rose to just over one in five during the first national lockdown earlier this year – an increase ofjustfive per cent from 2019.

The number of people working from home increased from six fer cent to 43% in late March, with levels dropping back to 37% by

June.

Timewise chief executive Emma Stewart said: "The outlook for all jobseekers is stark but for those needing to work flexibly it is even worse.

"Women, carers, older workers and those with health concerns are currently at the greatest risk of becoming excluded from work, as new ways of working fail to be reflected in recruitment advertising.

"We are calling on employers to simply adopt the same approach for job seekers as they are currently taking with employees, and to say so in job adverts.”

Minister for Women Baroness Berridge said: "The benefits of flexible working have really been emphasised during recent months. We want to see more employers embracing practices such as working from home and returners programmes, which can have a positive impact.”