Charlotte Woodworth
Gender Equality Director, Business in the Community
The workforce of today and tomorrow is different to previous generations, considering age, gender and attitudes to work-life balance. Can flexible working unlock their potential?
The modern workforce is more diverse than ever. More people are combining paid work with caring responsibilities for children, older relatives and others who need support, while a third of workers are now over 50.1
Outdated norms hinder workforce
Working norms haven’t always kept up with the changing profile of employees or contemporary expectations when it comes to work-life balance. Many people struggle to access jobs with good prospects and security. Limited flexibility — with old-fashioned ideas about when, where and how work should be delivered — can see these people relegated to lower-status, lower-paid positions. Yet, businesses report difficulties finding the right talent, and nearly a million UK jobs lie vacant.2
Flexible working needs to be understood
in terms of location, timeframe
and other flexible measures.
Flexible is good for everybody
People no longer just want hybrid working patterns or part-time hours. Flexible working needs to be understood in terms of location, timeframe and other flexible measures, such as compressed hours, later start times, term-time working and job shares. Embracing flexible working in this way is crucial to designing a working world fit for the modern workforce.
Flexible working has been called a ‘gateway to inclusion’ — important not just as a ‘women’s issue’ but also for racial equality, social mobility and more.3 Evidence shows marked differences in access to flexibility according to ethnicity and pay grade, with white, higher-earning employees more likely to enjoy flexibility than others.4 Flexibility is critical to business success. It’s a huge enabler for bringing in the right talent and crucial for creating and maintaining a happy, productive workforce.
Flexing the future
The Government has pledged to make flexibility the default in the UK.5 Employers that have yet to embrace flexible working should think carefully about the different kinds of flexibility they can offer, engaging with employees about their wants and needs. Flexible working benefits businesses and wider society. We should all celebrate what looks set to be a new, truly flexible era.
[1] Centre for Ageing Better: The State of Ageing 2023-24
[2] Office for National Statistics: Vacancies and jobs in the UK (October 2024)
[3] Agile Ideation: Shaping the Future of Work: Inclusive Policies as a Catalyst for Gender Equality
[4] Business in the Community: Who Cares? report
[5] Flexible working: Overview – GOV.UK
