Flexible Work Is a Great Idea. If Only Everyone Would Use It.

Back in 2014, the U.K. made significant move: It gave nearly every employee the legal right to request flexible work arrangements. Before then, only parents and caregivers had that right. The hope was that by opening it up to everyone, people would be able to shape their jobs around their lives—whether that meant adjusting hours, working from home, or finding some other balance.

The idea sounded good on paper. Surveys at the time showed a huge appetite for more flexibility—84% of men and 91% of women in one 2017 study said they were either already working flexibly or wanted to. And in 2021, an HSBC survey found that flexible work ranked just as important as salary when companies were trying to attract and keep staff.

But a new study led by researchers from King’s Business School, University College London, and City St George’s, University of London, shows the reality has been more complicated. Looking at data from 15,000 employees collected between 2010 and 2020, the researchers found the policy only had a limited effect. Women were more likely to shift into part-time roles after the reform, and that trend kept growing over time. Men’s working patterns, though, barely changed.

That shift brought some positives: Women who reduced their hours reported feeling less stressed and more satisfied with life. But the researchers warn that it also risks deepening the gender divide at work. If women are more likely to go part-time while men stick to full-time, it reinforces traditional roles around who does paid work and who picks up the unpaid labor. That, of course, has long-term consequences for women’s careers and financial security.

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“Policy alone isn’t enough,” said Prof. Heejung Chung of King’s Business School. “Unless workplace cultures and gender norms change too, flexible working can end up widening inequalities instead of closing them.”

The study’s lead author, Dr. Baowen Xue at UCL, agreed, adding that while part-time work can ease the pressure in the short run, it can also undermine women’s financial well-being over the long term.

In 2024, the law was expanded again so employees can request flexible work from their very first day on the job. Whether that will make a real difference remains to be seen—the researchers say it will take years before the impact becomes clear.