Fewer than half of workers have discussed flexible working with their managers, despite having the right to do so.
According to Phoenix Insights, part of the savings and retirement business Phoenix Group, 44% of employees have discussed flexible working arrangements, even though expanded rights to request flexible working became law in April 2024.
This has risen by five percentage points since April, when the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act introduced a day-one right to ask for flexible working arrangements and the ability to make two requests within a 12-month period.
Phoenix found that over-55s were the least likely to have discussed flexible working with their manager, with just 24% reporting this to be the case.
By contrast, over half (54%) of 18 to 34-year-olds said their manager had discussed it with them, and 46% of 35 to 54-year-olds.
Previous research by the company has found that flexible working becomes more important to workers as they get older, with 73% of over-55s prioritising flexible working hours.
Phoenix research has also shown that flexibility is particularly important to women, with 67% saying that flexibility over their working hours is an important consideration, compared to 56% of men.
Almost three-quarters (74%) of workers felt at least “somewhat confident” discussing flexible working, up from 67% when polled in February.
Sara Thompson, group HR director at Phoenix Group, said it was encouraging to see flexible working discussions gain more visibility in the workplace since the rights were extended.
“However, it’s clear the impact has not been as significant as it might have been.
“There are still far too many people who are not having these conversations in their workplaces, particularly among the over 50s age group, and who do not feel comfortable engaging in them, potentially harming their ability to remain and thrive in good work,” she said.
“The right to request flexible working, although a positive step, is not enough by itself – employers must go further to make sure employees are fully aware of their rights and offer as much flexibility in working arrangements as they can”.
Cath Sermon, head of public engagement and campaigns, added that flexible working can be a “game changer” for workers who want to balance their work with caring responsibilities, particularly over the age of 50.
“However, we know that making flexible work operate in practice needs planning, trust and good conversations between managers and employees,” she said.
“The concept of the eight-hour working day is over 200 years old so now is the time for employers and managers to be more imaginative about how to flex requirements and ensure that the legislative change makes a meaningful difference to their employees.
“That’s why it’s crucial for employers to do more to equip and encourage these important conversations to happen and to share best practice from across their organisations to help normalise and empower employees to stay in work for longer.”
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