Employment law specialist sees leap in businesses asking about flexible working

Many businesses are looking to change their long-term approach to flexible working after seeing the potential benefits during the pandemic, according to new figures.

Employment law and HR specialist Law at Work, which has four offices across Scotland, has seen enquiries from businesses looking to explore a more flexible approach to staff working patterns increase by more than 150 per cent in recent weeks compared to the same period last year.

The company said cost savings and a more productive environment were among the advantages being heralded by businesses exploring a more hybrid approach.

Daniel Gorry, head of employment law at Law at Work said: “The concept of hybrid or flexible working has been discussed amongst businesses for many years, but since the Covid restrictions first came into force, employers have now been forced to completely re-evaluate how they manage their employees.”

Daniel Gorry said a desire among employers to return to a centralised environment full time is increasingly unpopular.

Mr Gorry also said that although most of the companies his staff speak to would still like to incorporate some kind of office-based working, a desire to return to a centralised environment full time is “increasingly unpopular”.

He added: “For many employers it makes sense, as not only is it a way of maintaining a happy workforce, but it can also provide an opportunity for cost reduction as there is less of a requirement for a large office space to accommodate staff.

“Clearly this more flexible approach isn’t appropriate for every employer and even those that can deliver it need to be aware that they are still responsible for the health and safety of those workers who are working from home."

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