National Work Life Week runs from 6 October 2025, and this year focuses on ‘Flex for All’ which will shine a spotlight on the millions of people for whom flexible working isn’t just a ‘nice to have’, it’s essential. Here, we discuss the importance of flexible working, and why National Work Life Week should act as a reminder of the importance of flexibility – on both sides.
In the UK workforce, there is a sizeable elephant in the room – we are seeing more and more organisations move back to a mandatory five-day working week in the office, but at the same time flexibility is becoming more and more important to employees, and an increasingly key driver in whether they will choose to stay with an employer or not.
This flexibility employees crave may be for a number of reasons – whether that be to help with childcare (or broader caring responsibilities), physical or mental health struggles that are exacerbated by busy commutes/ office environments, wanting a better work/ life balance or just a general preference.
Since the pandemic in 2020, employers and employees alike have seen that flexible working (whether that be a mixture of home and office working or another form of flexibility) can be a success, in terms of achieving deliverables and maintaining high productivity. Research from American Express highlights that a good work/ life balance is key to job satisfaction – with 71% of UK respondents saying that work/ life balance is top of their priority list, ahead of higher pay. These figures show just how important flexible working has become for employees. A satisfied employee is generally a productive and engaged employee – a win for the employer (see below).
The benefits of flexible working
As well as the better work/ life balance employees benefit from when it comes to flexible working, there are also numerous benefits for employers including:
- Wider talent pool: A company with a flexible working policy will appeal to more candidates than one with a rigid requirement to be in the office every day, which will potentially mean better quality applicants. This can also help create a more diverse workforce as employers may receive more applications from candidates with disabilities or other health conditions, for example, who may not be able to commit to a fully ‘in office’ role.
- Reduced absenteeism: The work-life balance employees can achieve through flexible working will mean employees will typically be more well rested and less stressed, meaning they’re less likely to be off sick.
- Better employee retention: Employees who are given no flexibility in their working arrangements will be more likely to look for a new place of work where they’re offered a better work/ life balance. Offering flexibility will increase the chances of employees staying with the organisation for longer.
Legal considerations
There are legal considerations for employers to be aware of when it comes to determining whether employees can work flexibly. For example, under the Equality Act 2010, ‘indirect discrimination’ is described as when a working practice, policy or rule is the same for everyone but has a significant negative effect on someone because of a ‘protected characteristic’.
Employers could potentially fall foul of indirect discrimination claims if, for instance, they employ any person who is disabled or an employee with childcaring responsibilities but still mandate a return to the office five days a week. This protection against indirect discrimination would also extend to those who are classed as ‘primary carers’ for disabled family members if the direction to return to the office five days a week meant that they were unable to fulfil their caring requirements.
Disabled employees can also bring claims for a failure to make a reasonable adjustment and discrimination arising from disability if they aren’t afforded flexibility which would help them perform their role without suffering a substantial disadvantage.
If employers are fully committed to making a full-time return to the office mandatory, it is worth considering whether employees with protected characteristics can be moved to alternative roles with more flexibility, or if they could be given special dispensation by the employer to tweak their working pattern (i.e. work from home on days when they have caring responsibilities).
There is also the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, which makes requesting flexible working a day-one right for all employees, with employees able to make two flexible working requests in a 12-month period. Should employers decide to decline a request for flexible working, they are now duty-bound to consult with the employee making the request to discuss alternative options. There are further changes to come with the Employment Rights Bill requiring a ‘reasonableness’ test before an employer rejects a request.
Conclusions
While hybrid working offers the best of both worlds, some employees will prefer to be in the office five days a week and enjoy the opportunity to engage with colleagues face-to-face on a daily basis, but where possible this should be a choice for employees and not made compulsory.
Where some office days are required, it’s always best practice to agree with the employee which days, or for what events, meetings, etc. they will need to attend in the office – treating employees as equal parties in the relationship sets an employer up for success in getting the most out of them.
As more and more employers mandate a full time return to the office, others may think that following suit is the best option – however, they should prepare themselves for a difficult transition period, which will likely include some employees leaving the company in search of the work/ life balance they want.