Flexible Working Remains Top of Mind as Workplaces Navigate Change

According to a recent report summarised by Workplace Insight, economic uncertainty and technological change are reshaping expectations from employees and employers alike.

The 2025 Global Workplace Report from WorkL, which aggregated feedback from more than half a million workers across over 100 countries, reveals widening generational divides, evolving career attitudes, and growing anxiety about automation and job security.

What Employees Want And What’s Changing

The report shows that more men are now placing high importance on flexibility, with many valuing hybrid work, work-from-home options, or even condensed workweeks. This shift coincides with improvements in job-satisfaction metrics: in the UK, for example, male employees’ satisfaction with working hours rose from 75% in 2024 to 78% in 2025.

Globally, hybrid work remains strongly linked to higher employee engagement. According to WorkL’s data, hybrid-working employees report engagement scores around 77%, with remote-only workers not far behind at 76%. In comparison, those working exclusively in the office register lower engagement scores, around 72%.

In addition, many employees say they’re more productive at home: more than half say their most effective work happens when remote, compared with just 30% who say they perform best in an office environment.

Challenges & Diverging Patterns

But the shift isn’t uniform or without complication. While remote and hybrid models offer flexibility and balance, others in the workforce remain disadvantaged. Results from 2025 show disabled workers report lower engagement (68%) compared to non-disabled peers (73%), highlighting persistent gaps in equity and support for flexible arrangements.

In some countries, economic pressures and structural inequalities mean hybrid working remains less accessible. Recent data from 2025 suggests hybrid work is far more common among higher-income, degree-educated workers, a disparity that grows when looking across socio-economic bands.

For younger workers, especially those aged 16–18, the data shows higher turnover risk. These early-career employees recorded a “flight risk” of 37%, likely seeking flexibility, values-driven work, or different career trajectories.

What This Means For Employers & HR Leaders

For organisations, flexible working is less a perk and more a strategic imperative. Firms that resist hybridity or fail to offer adaptable work patterns risk losing talent, especially among younger employees, professionals seeking better work-life balance, and those for whom flexibility is fundamental (parents, carers, disabled staff, etc.).

At the same time, flexible models do more than satisfy employee demand: they can boost retention, engagement, productivity, and position organisations as modern, adaptive employers.

But to harness the benefits, employers need to approach flexible working thoughtfully, by building inclusive policies, offering support to underrepresented staff, and balancing flexibility with fairness and performance transparency.

Continue the conversation LIVE at our UK event next April: The Workplace Event 

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