The Flexible Working Bill, which came into effect a year ago today, promised employees the right to request different types of flexible work arrangements, including part-time work, compressed hours, job sharing, and hybrid working. During this period, we also saw the emergence of other employment law changes, including the implementation of adoption or shared parental leave and the Carer’s Leave Act.

At the time, the Flexible Working Bill was hailed for its plan to give employees greater autonomy over their work-life balance. By allowing the right to request flexible practices as a day one right and simplifying the internal request process for businesses, it addressed the inflexibility that had driven four million people to change jobs.

But a year on, how much has really changed? Is it truly living up to its promise or has it veered towards a simple box-ticking exercise for businesses?

The promise vs reality

To understand whether employers have stuck to the bill, we must first determine what was pledged.

The bill guarantees that employees can request flexible arrangements regardless of tenure, a stark contrast with the 14% of businesses that previously allowed this. Additionally, employers were given two months (instead of three) to respond to requests and required to provide a clear rationale for any denials. Reasons for declining can include negative impact on performance and additional cost to the business.

However, the legislation stops short of mandating approval - meaning that while employees can request flexibility, employers are under no legal obligation to grant it. This has led to varied levels of adoption, with some companies embracing a range of flexible work options, while others continue to enforce rigid structures, limiting choices such as flexitime, job sharing, or remote work.

What’s going wrong?

Despite the growing acceptance and adoption of flexible working arrangements, which saw over 4.2 million people in the UK on flextime employment contracts, many businesses still struggle to balance employee demands for flexibility with operational efficiency.

As it stands, some businesses treat flexible working as a compliance requirement rather than a genuine shift in workplace culture. They acknowledge requests but do little to facilitate or support effective flexible work. Others are shifting to outright reject requests, maintaining fixed work structures that may not align with employee needs.

For example, while some businesses have moved towards hybrid models, others like Asda, Boots, ASOS and Amazon have opted for full return-to-office mandates. Amazon opted to issue a five-day RTO mandate in a move to ‘strengthen’ company culture. However, its plan hit a snag when it became apparent that they had insufficient desk spaces, meaning the RTO start date became delayed.

A lack of strategic workspace planning such as this leads to frustration. Even if employees are granted hybrid arrangements in theory, without the right infrastructure – such as bookable desks, occupancy insights, and environmental adaptability – these arrangements can quickly become impractical.

As a result, businesses can miss out on the benefits that flexible working can bring. These include attracting and retaining top talent, improving job satisfaction and engagement, boosting productivity, and enhancing business outcomes.

The path forward

The last year has shown that offering flexible working isn’t just about policy – it’s about execution. The real challenge isn’t granting flexibility on paper, it’s making sure that workplaces can function efficiently within the new model.

Facilities management plays a critical role in making flexibility work. Businesses need real-time occupancy data and dynamic space allocation to understand who is working where and when. Doing so, helps to avoid inefficiencies like empty desks and overcrowded office areas.

But, how do they achieve this?

The answer lies in investing in smart workplace technology – such as desk booking systems, occupancy sensors, and AI – powered space optimisation. With this in their locker, businesses can move beyond just a tick-box approach and fully realise the benefits of flexible work.

By getting this right, businesses stand to enjoy higher productivity, stronger employee retention, and better space usage. And those that resist may find themselves struggling with disengagement, inefficiency, and employee attrition.

Looking ahead: what’s next?

Undeniably, the flexible working debate will not be disappearing anytime soon, so where does that mean we will be in a year’s time?

The Flexible Working Bill has put the ball in the employee’s court, but its success depends on how well businesses accommodate these requests. Whether it's hybrid work, job sharing, or compressed hours, companies that proactively support flexibility will be best positioned to retain talent and drive productivity er businesses truly embrace flexibility beyond policy and put it into practice.

As we move forward, the question isn't whether employees can request flexible work, it’s about whether organisations are equipped to make it a reality. The companies that invest in smart workplace technology will be best positioned to successfully implement these practices.