The pros and cons of flexible working

Flexible working can include working from home, part-time working, flexitime, and job sharing. Under provisions set out in the Employment Rights Act 1996 and regulations made under it, all employees have a statutory right to ask their employer for a change to their contractual terms and to work flexibly, provided they have worked for their employer for 26 weeks continuously at the date the application is made.

The AAT’s study has compared the productivity of a group of workers who set their own hours or working location against a group of workers who are not.

The study found that a fifth of flexible workers enquired about workplace flexibility as soon as their very first interview for their job, letting potential employers know they were interested in the option.

Flexible workers said they felt they worked effectively for more of a typical working day than those working a traditional ‘nine-to-five’. A quarter said they work longer hours in their new flexi routine than they did when they were shackled to normal office hours, putting in an extra 6.7 hours more each week on average than they did when they were at their desks in the office. 15 per cent believe they are simply not as productive in a traditional working environment, and 21 per cent said they are ‘much more productive’ after moving to a flexible schedule.

Half of the flexible workers say they can never see themselves returning to a more traditional work routine. Three-quarters of flexi workers say they’d be reluctant to leave their current place of work, if a new one didn’t allow the same flexibility, and 77 per cent said the option to work flexibly has encouraged them to stay at their current place of work for longer than they might have otherwise, showing how it can help increase company loyalty.

However, despite all the benefits, a tenth of respondents worry their colleagues think of them as work-shy for not being on hand in the office regularly. In addition, 13 per cent have concerns they may be passed over for promotions or other work responsibilities, as they’re out of sight and potentially out of mind. One in five believe they have colleagues who are ‘envious’ of the work/life balance they have managed to negotiate for themselves.

Further details about this research are available on the AAT's website.