Flexible working has taken the UK region by storm since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. By now, most people are working in a hybrid format where they work from home at least 2-3 days every week.
By and large, UK workers have embraced flexible work. Remote work is highly desirable and many are equally pleased with hybrid work opportunities.
However, new research has found there could be more flexibility where hybrid work is concerned.
Hybrid working women hit hard
Vitality is a private health insurance company serving more than 7 million clients in the market. In a recent report, “Healthy Hybrid: Building Healthy Workplaces in an Evolving Working World”, the company surveyed more than 300 businesses and more than 2,000 hybrid-working office workers in the UK.
Hybrid working women also reported declines in mental health and physical activity. (Photo by George Milton on Pexels)
It found that more than a third of the women surveyed (35%) reported increased stress levels as compared to the men (24%).
Women who worked hybrid also reported a decline in physical activity (31%) and mental health (28%), both of which contribute to an employee’s overall wellbeing.
To put that into context, note that only 17% of men who worked hybrid in the UK reported a decline in physical activity, and a comparable 18% reported a decline in mental health.
Earlier studies suggested that despite the popularity of hybrid work, hybrid workers may have the short end of the stick in comparison to both remote workers and in-office workers.
Some may find it difficult to unwind, or to shift from a remote mindset to an in-person mindset within the span of a week.
More flexibility out of flex work
Women want more flexibility out of their jobs. (Photo by William Fortunato on Pexels)
Flexibility on the job has become non-negotiable in many instances in the UK. It is becoming more and more expected the closer the region gets to enacting Flex-from-1st legislation.
This data, however, suggest that even hybrid jobs still have some room for improvement with implementing meaningful flexibility that will actually benefit their employees.
“This may be why more women (71%) than men (53%) are calling for even greater flexibility in how and where they work as a way to improve their health and wellbeing in the future,” Vitality noted.
“Of those surveyed, more than two-fifths (46%) of women say they would be willing to quit their job if their employer didn’t prioritise their health and wellbeing as part of a hybrid working approach, indicating that they are holding their employer to higher account.”
Find the latest remote jobs in the UK via RemoteWorker.co.uk.
