Study reveals benefits of flexible working – including improved staff wellbeing and retention

A two-year study revealed the benefits of flexible working arrangements for employees and employers, as factors such as health and wellbeing and job satisfaction improved.

Led by Timewise and the Institute for Employment Studies, the research carefully examined the impact of increased flexibility on frontline and site-based roles.

The research, called Flex For All, sought to understand how giving employees more control over their work schedules could affect their health, well-being, work-life balance, and job satisfaction.

The study revealed positive results across the board, including a better work-life balance, creating a more productive workforce, an increase in employee retention and a reduction in sickness-related absences.

Key findings from the study include:

• At the beginning of the project, only 51% of participants felt that their work arrangements supported good personal health and well-being. By the end, this number had risen to 82%.
• The proportion of employees who believed they had a good work-life balance increased from 52% to 78% after adopting more flexible working arrangements.
• Job satisfaction improved for 83% of participants, which was directly linked to the new work patterns.
• 84% of those involved indicated that the flexibility they experienced was central to how they wished to work in the future.
• 81% supported a company-wide implementation of these flexible arrangements.
• 76% of beneficiaries felt that their new work conditions made them more likely to remain with their current employer for a longer period.
• At Wickes, 28% of beneficiaries reported taking less sick leave due to the increased flexibility. Initially, 28% had taken sick leave within the previous three months because of a lack of flexible or agile working options.
• 83% of employees whose work arrangements changed agreed that the new flexibility helped them be more productive, as they could better plan their work around personal priorities.

Flexible working – The laws

A major change was made to employment law this year to give workers more control over their working hours and environment.

From April 2024, workers can request flexible working from Day One of their employment, instead of the former 26 weeks under the Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023.

This means that workers can request flexible working from their first day at a new job, which could include staggered hours, flexitime, part-time working, compressed hours, job sharing or hybrid working.

Under the new rules, if an employer cannot accommodate a request to work flexibly, they will be required to discuss alternative options before they can reject the request. For example, if it is not possible to change an employee’s working hours on all days, they could consider making the change for certain days instead.

Employees are allowed to make two flexible working requests in any 12-month period, and employers are required to respond to requests within 2 months.

The government has said the implementation of new measures gives employees greater access to flexibility over where, when, and how they work, leading to happier, more productive staff.

Further reading

Stress at work claims – Oakwood Solicitors

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