Flexible and Hybrid Working in 2025: Trends, Insights & Employer Tips (2025)

A recent report produced by the CIPD explores the current state of flexible and hybrid working, and examines both employer and employee perspectives. With around 1.1 million employees claiming to have left a job due to a lack of flexible working, the report suggests that flexibility is incredibly important for attracting and retaining talent.

Insights

Reflecting the importance of flexible working, 91% of organisations now offer this in some form, ranging from remote and hybrid working to part-time hours. Hybrid working, in particular, remains widespread, with about 75% of employers offering this to varying degrees. Notably, 61% of organisations believe advertising flexible options is important for recruitment. The CIPD identified that access to flexibility is not equal across employees, with some reporting that senior employees are more likely to benefit. Likewise, those in the public or voluntary sectors are less likely to be able to work flexibly.

Employee perspectives

80% of employees believe that flexible working has had a positive effect on their quality of life. However, a high proportion of employees state that many flexible working arrangements are not available to them. The report notes differences in viewpoints between genders, with 50% of men saying that reduced working hours are not available to them, and 47% of women claiming that working from home during normal hours is not an option for them. Whilst the report does not comment on the reason for this, we anticipate this is likely to arise at least in part from the types of work they are doing being less suited to these flexible working arrangements. Another factor is that three in 10 employees say they are not comfortable making a flexible working request to their employers, with the report noting that this is a particular concern for those with a disability. In the latter case, employers need to be mindful of the duty to make reasonable adjustments, with changes to hours or working patterns potentially falling within the scope of reasonable adjustments.

The report also identifies an unmet demand for some types of flexible working, specifically citing a four-day working week without pay reduction and compressed hours. These options are popular amongst many employees for obvious reasons. However, employers are likely to have concerns about productivity, outputs and meeting business demands if they put in place these types of arrangements.

Employer perspectives

Almost 20% of employers are committed to improving flexible working within their organisation over the next year, saying that it is vital to attract and retain staff as well as to support employee wellbeing. Of those employers who do not plan on increasing flexible working, 20% had concerns that doing so would reduce productivity.

The implementation of the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, which introduced a day-one right to request flexible working, has meant that many employers have seen an increase in requests, especially within the public sector. The report indicates that, because of the legislation's provisions, 22% of employers are more likely to grant flexible working requests. Reflecting on the impact of the legislation, organisations cite improved motivation, retention and open dialogue amongst their employees. Conversely, the CIPD reports that 56% of employers say that where they cannot agree requests, it has caused conflict and damaged employee relations within the organisation.

Recommendations for employers

The imminent Employment Rights Bill will strengthen the right to flexible working, with any refusal of a request having to be reasonable, which goes one step further than the current legislation where employers must only cite one of the eight business reasons, without having to justify this. When communicating the decision to the employee, the employer will have to set out the ground or grounds it relies upon and explain why it believes it is reasonable to refuse the request on that ground. This additional layer may result in an increase in requests from employees, for which the CIPD has made several recommendations to help employers prepare:

• Update policies and processes: Ensure that you update your policies and processes for responding to flexible working requests.
• Raise awareness: Promote awareness of the flexible working arrangements available to employees and explore how you can apply them to diverse job roles.
• Evidence-based decisions: Ensure that you take any decisions regarding a return-to-office mandate based on evidence, with a clear rationale that you communicate to employees.
• Monitor impact: You may benefit from having measures in place to track the impact of various working arrangements, including attraction, retention, performance, job satisfaction and wellbeing. This will help address any patterns that occur within the workplace and allow you to adapt your approach where needed.
• Training: Ensure that managers are trained to manage flexible working within their teams, including managing performance for hybrid workers and remote communication.
• Promote fairness and inclusion: It is important to ensure that your practices are inclusive and fair, being mindful of potential tensions between those who can and cannot work remotely. Where necessary, map out the different roles within the organisation and what types of flexible working are available to each type.
• Support carers: Give support to carers, who will often benefit significantly from flexible working. This may include paid leave, reduced hours or home working. Reflect this within your policies.
• Encourage attendance: Where you feel office attendance is important for your business, consider using incentives such as an improved office space and commuter benefits to encourage workplace attendance.

By following these steps and keeping an open mind about flexible working requests, employers will give their organisations an opportunity to attract and retain talent. If you need advice on your flexible working policy or approach, please get in touch with your usual Dentons contact.