The UK Government’s backing of flexible-working arrangements, has highlighted polarised views on the topic.
Speaking to reporters, Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer’s spokesperson said: “Good employers understand that for workers to stay motivated and productive they do need to be able to switch off and a culture of presenteeism can be damaging to productivity”. He explained that the Labour government’s plan for workers’ rights – which is due within the party’s first 100 days in power – will recognise the importance of home working.
However, it will be up to individual employers to determine whether staff must work from the office, the spokesperson said, as “people’s roles will vary”, concluding: “So it’s about making sure we have the right balance between making the most of the flexible working practices that we saw following the pandemic, with also having appropriate arrangements in place to ensure that people can stay productive.”
Differing opinions
Following the announcement, The Daily Mail reported that some fear the Government’s backing of more flexible working will lead to a “work from home” resurgence. The same source quotes former Conservative Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, as suggesting that this shows “how out of touch” Labour is with “the rest of Britain”.
Insights from our own “In search of productivity?” Make A Difference Leaders’ Lunch suggest that question marks persist for employers around how to overcome the unintended consequences of flexible working – in order to ensure work-life balance, wellbeing and productivity are improved for all employees.
Meanwhile, a report from hybrid working solutions supplier International Workplace Group indicates that two fifths (40%) of office workers are less likely to ‘quiet quit’ or become demotivated at work if their employers offer a hybrid model. “Quiet quitting” is the term used to describe employees doing only the bare minimum required by their job description.
More than half (57%) of respondents to International Workplace Group’s survey* said that they were more likely to “quiet quit” if they had a manager who made them feel undervalued, micromanaged, or did not provide the flexibility to work from a location which best suits their needs.
Furthermore, 71% would decline a new job or position that involved a long commute, while 72% would only consider new roles offering the flexibility to work from any location.
How managers can prevent quiet quitting
For workers that currently lack the flexibility to work where they want, 55% of respondents to International Workplace Group’s survey believe they would experience greater job satisfaction and productivity if allowed to work in a hybrid manner by their manager or boss.
The research also identified the top three markers of good management as: promoting work-life balance, trusting workers to complete work from any location, and being approachable and open to conversations about new ways of working.
This is supported by academic research from Professor Bloom, a Stanford economics professor and world-renowned expert on hybrid working, who says that companies that offer this kind of flexibility can expect to see quit rates decline by as much as 35%.**
*Research undertaken by Censuswide, polling 1,005 UK Office full time / hybrid workers between 20/06/24 and 25/06/24
**https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/iwg-women-senior-leadership-positions-b2300777.html
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