Two in five Scottish workers need flexible working, or can’t work at all

Two in every five Scottish workers say they need flexible working, or they can’t work at all, according to a new white paper published in early March by Flexibility Works.

While flexible working has increased since the pandemic with 61% of Scottish workers saying they have some form of flexibility over when, where or how much they work, the white paper aims to remind employers and policymakers just how critical flex is for the wider Scottish economy.

Nikki Slowey, co-founder and director of social business Flexibility Works, said: “We still hear people talk about flexible working as a ‘nice to have’ but these figures are a pertinent reminder of how essential flexibility is for a large portion of our workforce. Without flex, many people just can’t work, which hits family finances hard and pushes some people into poverty.

The white paper, called ‘Beyond hybrid: Why all kinds of flexible working matter in 2023’, analysed data from 662 adult Scottish workers. It shows 40% of Scottish workers say they need flexible working, or can’t work at all, and underscores the importance of flexibility to enable people to work. This figure includes frontline workers who can’t work from home and need other forms of flexible working, such as flexibility on hours.

The white paper shows one in five (19%) Scottish workers surveyed are considering giving up work because of a lack of flexibility. This includes people who have some flexibility, but not enough.

Flexibility Works hopes the findings will remind Scottish employers and policy makers of how essential flexible working is to help people enter work, stay in work and progress at work.