As reported by Workplace Insights, employers are being encouraged to broaden access to flexible working in 2026, ahead of planned changes to employment law

Currently, employees in the UK have a statutory right to request flexible working from their first day on the job. Under the forthcoming Employment Rights Act 2025, set to take effect in 2027, employers will be expected to offer flexible arrangements as standard rather than on request.

Research shows that the most common forms of workplace flexibility include autonomy over how tasks are completed, flexible working hours and the ability to work from different locations, including home. However, employees with long-term health conditions are less likely than their colleagues without health conditions to have access to all three forms of flexibility.

Ben Harrison, director of the Work Foundation, emphasised that flexible working can be crucial for employees managing health conditions. He noted that workers who experience a health setback without access to flexible arrangements are four times more likely to leave their job. Harrison argued that employers should act now to implement flexible policies rather than wait for the legislative changes to take effect. Researchers also stressed that flexibility should not be understood solely in terms of hybrid or remote working, but as a broader approach to how work is organised and managed.