The Double-Edged Sword of Flexibility: How Employees Are Feeling the Pressure of Remote Working

Strategic Insights -

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to remote working, but the reality is that flexibility has become a euphemism for homeworking, leaving many employees feeling squeezed. Georgia, a 44-year-old business analyst who lost her job in London last July, is one such example. She had been working four and a half days a week since 2014 but was laid off after her team was made redundant. Her job hunt has been a revelation, as she has discovered that many companies claim to offer flexible working arrangements but in reality, these are often limited to remote working during social distancing restrictions. "The mention of four days is greeted with horror," she says.

Key Takeaways:

  • A recent survey by Timewise found that the proportion of jobs in the UK advertised as offering flexible working rose from 17% at the start of 2020 to 22% after the pandemic disrupted work patterns.
  • Emma Stewart, co-founder of Timewise, worries that businesses are still timid and need to design jobs properly to implement systemic flexibility.
  • Gemma Dale, a lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, is concerned that managers will blame problems on remote working, despite its ability to increase productivity and reduce stress.
  • Presenteeism is still prevalent in many organizations, with employees feeling pressure to be visible in the office and meeting expectations of management.
  • Law firms, in particular, are slow to adapt to flexible working, with one City lawyer expressing disappointment that her firm's policy still emphasizes presenteeism.
  • Timewise's Emma Stewart notes that organizations need to invest in managers to implement flexible work arrangements effectively.
  • Laura Empson, director of the Centre for Professional Service Firms at City's Business School, worries that the pandemic has demonstrated work intensification, rather than true flexibility.

Statistics:

  • 17% of jobs in the UK were advertised as offering flexible working at the start of 2020 (Timewise).
  • 22% of jobs in the UK were advertised as offering flexible working after the pandemic disrupted work patterns (Timewise).
  • The number of employees who report working remotely full-time increased from 10% pre-pandemic to 24% in 2020 (Gallup).
  • Only 12% of employees say they have flexible working arrangements (Gallup).
  • 63% of working parents report feeling overwhelmed by work and care responsibilities (Working Families).

Sources:

  • Timewise (2020) - Survey on flexible working in the UK.
  • Working Families (2020) - Survey on working parents and flexible working.
  • Gallup (2020) - Survey on remote work and flexible working.
  • FT (2020) - Article on the double-edged sword of flexibility.