Women use flexible work more often, but men have greater access to hybrid roles, report finds

Women are more likely than men to have the flexibility to change their working hours, but men are more likely to have access to hybrid roles, according to a report by the Working for Women Research Partnership.

The findings show that 60% of women can adjust their start or finish times, compared with 50% of men, while 32% of men work in hybrid roles, compared with 26% of women.

The report, Good Flex, Bad Flex: Designing Flexibility for Gender Equality, examines how workplace flexibility is experienced differently across genders and why access to flexible arrangements does not always translate into greater control over working lives.

Remote-first or fully remote roles showed a smaller difference, accounting for 12% of women and 10% of men.

The findings point to different patterns in how flexibility is experienced. 

Women are more likely to have some control over their working hours, while men are more likely to have access to hybrid arrangements that allow them to divide their time between home and the workplace.

Access goes beyond working from home

The findings underline the need to look beyond whether employees can work remotely when assessing workplace flexibility. 

The type of arrangement available, the degree of control employees have over their schedules and the support they receive at work all influence how flexibility is experienced.

For employers, this means that offering flexible working policies may not be enough. 

Organisations also need to consider whether employees can access these arrangements in practice and whether flexibility supports their work and personal responsibilities without limiting their opportunities at work.

Designing flexibility for gender equality

The report calls attention to the way workplace flexibility is shaped by organisational practices and the decisions made by managers.

Uneven access can leave employees with different levels of control over when and where they work, even within the same organisation.

For HR leaders, the findings highlight the importance of examining who uses flexible work, who can access different arrangements and whether workplace practices distribute flexibility fairly. 

A more deliberate approach could help organisations make flexibility more inclusive and better aligned with employees' needs.

The report argues for a broader understanding of flexibility, one that considers not only the availability of arrangements but also their quality and the extent to which employees can use them without compromising their work or career prospects.

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