At the height of the pandemic, flexible working was hailed as a great leveller—a long-overdue shift that would make the workplace more inclusive, more balanced, and more human. But now, as return-to-office policies creep back in and hybrid models become the norm, a new reality is setting in: not all flexibility is created equal.
Who gets to work from home? Who feels safe doing so? And who pays the price for visibility in the office? These are the equity questions employers must ask.
A Divided Landscape
Recent research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) reveals that while 75% of organisations now offer some form of hybrid work, access is uneven. Senior staff and white-collar professionals are far more likely to enjoy flexible arrangements. Meanwhile, junior employees, shift workers, and staff in customer-facing roles often get left out.
According to ONS data, disabled workers are significantly more likely to request remote working—but less likely to have those requests granted.
There’s also a risk of new proximity bias. Employees who come into the office more frequently are more visible—and that visibility often translates to opportunities, promotions, and influence. Those who work remotely more often, including carers, disabled staff, and people with long-term health conditions, may be penalised without even knowing it.
A 2024 TUC report found that 43% of flexible workers worry about being overlooked for career progression compared to their in-office peers.
Flexibility Must Be Inclusive
True flexibility is about autonomy and equity—not just where you work, but how. That includes flexible start and end times, compressed hours, job-sharing, and output-based performance measures.
Yet many so-called flexible policies are rigid in practice. Employees are expected to be online at all hours, or required to commute several days a week without explanation. Worse, some employers are using flexibility as a privilege to be earned—not a right to be embedded.
Inclusive flexibility means understanding that different employees have different needs. It means being intentional about team design, communication, and performance criteria. It means training managers to lead distributed teams effectively, without bias.
Accountability Starts at the Top
Leaders set the tone. If senior figures only work in the office, others will feel pressure to do the same. If flexibility is seen as a perk, it will always be conditional. That’s why clear policy matters. Organisations should be setting guardrails for hybrid work that prioritise equity, access, and fairness.
This includes monitoring who is using flexible arrangements—and who isn’t. Are LGBTQ+ employees, ethnic minority staff, or parents making fewer requests because they don’t feel safe or supported? Is your remote workforce as diverse as your in-person one?
Data should guide these questions, but so should lived experience. Employers must listen—through surveys, focus groups, and open dialogue—and be prepared to adapt policies that aren’t working.
Future-Proofing Flexibility
Hybrid working isn’t going anywhere. But its future must be fair. The most inclusive organisations won’t just offer flexible options—they’ll build cultures that truly embrace them. That means trust, clarity, and a commitment to measuring outcomes, not hours.
The question isn’t whether hybrid working is good or bad. It’s who it’s working for—and who’s being left behind.