The Index analyses data from Flexa: the platform where companies get discovered for their working environments and culture. This latest analysis pooled data insights from a sample of over 4,000 job adverts, and the preferences expressed by over 9,000 job seekers between April and June 2024. 

Jobs offering flexible working hours have more than tripled in the last year

The number of jobs offering “a little flexibility” (whereby workers can start and finish work a little earlier or later, but otherwise work regular hours) around working hours more than tripled between June 2024 and the same time last year. In June 2023, a quarter of job vacancies advertised “a little flexibility” around working hours. This same benefit was advertised on 79% of job posts last month - an exponential increase of 216%. 

Over the last quarter alone the number of roles advertising this benefit has increased by 58%. 50% of jobs offered a little flexibility around working hours in April.

Employers’ embrace of flexible working hours is in line with the new Government’s plans. After the Prime Minister publicly put in place measures to protect time for his own family life, similar protections for workers were suggested during the King’s Speech earlier this month.

The proposed Employment Rights Bill would make flexible working hours the default from day-one of employment. It is yet to be seen how much flexibility the Bill would give employees around their working hours in practice. Whereas employers’ stance on this matter is far clearer. 

Bosses have less time for more than “a little flexibility” around working hours

In June 2024, there were 76% fewer vacancies offering “core hours” (whereby staff are only required to work during certain hours, e.g. 11am-3pm, and can otherwise complete their work in their own time), compared to the same time last year. A third of jobs came with core hours in June 2023, down to just 8% last month. 

Core hours also declined over the last quarter, down by 47%. Just 15% of roles offered the benefit in April. 

Demand for core hours is not a million miles away from current levels of supply, but is increasing by contrast. 27% more job seekers expressed a preference for roles offering core hours over the last quarter - up from 11% in April to 14% in June. 

The latest 4-day week pilot - which was announced earlier this month and starts with training in September - is set to test the precarious balance of supply and demand, as flexible start and finish times are to be trialled as part of the scheme.

Either way, the current demand for core hours reflects a wider shift amongst workers, who are expressing increasingly strong preferences about when as well as where they work.

Workers care more about when as well as where they work

Flexa tracks the number of workers who say that they “don’t mind” whether they have flexible hours or not, when filtering searches for new roles.

In June, this number was the lowest it had been since December 2021: just 39% of workers said that they “don’t mind” about having flexible working hours. This means that, in June, the number of workers that do mind about having flexible working hours was the highest it’s been since the pandemic.

More workers have cared about having flexible working hours over the course of the quarter, too. There has been a 20% decline in the number of job seekers who say that they “don’t mind” about having flexible working hours since April, when almost half (49%) of workers expressed this sentiment. 

Molly Johnson-Jones, co-founder and CEO of Flexa, comments: “Not all employers offer workers the level of flexibility they might like around working locations. We know this from the resistance RTO mandates continue to be met with. But workers are caring more about when as well as where they work, and flexible working hours are something that far more employers agree with them on, thanks to the trend towards asynchronous work and output-led management. 

“Not since the pandemic have workers cared as much about having flexible working hours as they do now. A number of different reasons could explain this. Staff who have less influence over their working locations - both lockdown-enforced WFH and back-to-office orders have this same effect, albeit with opposing outcomes - may choose to assert preferences for flexible working hours instead. The recent spike could also suggest a greater need for flexible working hours amongst staff who may well now have to spend more time in offices. Others may simply feel that flexible working hours make the biggest difference to their work-life balance. Keir Starmer’s personal approach to work and policy plans suggests that he would agree. 

“But, ultimately, flexible working hours meet many different needs for many different workers. And having even just “a little flexibility” around work start and finish times can make a big difference.”