Lockdown legacy: How Scots are embracing flexible working five years on from pandemic

The rise in flexible working prompted by the pandemic is “huge” and here to stay in Scotland, according to new research released five years on from the first week of the 2020 Covid lockdowns.

The study, which examines working practices since the pandemic, shows that levels of flexible working have stabilised with 67 per cent of Scottish workers saying they now use some form of flexible working in their role, up from 46 per cent pre-pandemic. The research, by social consultancy and training business Flexibility Works, also reveals that hybrid working - regularly combining the home and the office - remains popular with 77 per cent of office or desk-based workers able to work hybrid and remotely.

The report, called Flex for Life 2025, is based on data from more than 1,000 Scottish workers, 250 employers and 200 unemployed adults looking for work, and has been part-funded by the Scottish Government.

Since the pandemic, more people are working from home full-time or on a more flexible, hybrid basis.

Over the period examined by Flexibility Works, the levels of flexible working came back as 46 per cent in 2019/20, 60 per cent in 2022, 61 per cent in 2023, and 67 per cent in both 2024 and for the start of this year.

The latest findings show that more than seven in ten - 72 per cent - Scottish employers think flexible working is good for their business overall, and 95 per cent of employers think flexible working in their own organisation will stay the same, or increase, over the next 12 months.

The top five business benefits of flexible working, cited by Scottish employers, are: better staff retention (an area cited by 75 per cent of those polled), improved staff mental health and wellbeing (75 per cent), reduced sickness and absence (69 per cent), reduced costs to the business (68 per cent) and staff more willing to go “above and beyond” (also 68 per cent).

Meanwhile, the practical challenges some employers feel they are facing include how to talk to staff about flexible working without raising expectations that can’t be delivered, how to make flexible working “fair” across different roles, and how to win over some senior leaders who remain sceptical and are blocking greater flexible working across the organisation.

Nikki Slowey, co-founder and director of Flexibility Works.

Nikki Slowey, co-founder and director of Flexibility Works, said: “Our data shows flexible working is well-used, well-liked and well-established in Scotland, and the increase in flexible working brought about by the pandemic is here to stay.

“The demand for flexibility from workers is huge, with 85 per cent already working flexibly or wanting to. Crucially, most employers are generally very positive about flexible working too, and recognise the benefits it brings, such as improved recruitment and retention, reduced sickness and absence and better wellbeing for people.

“A minority of employers say they face practical challenges, and some have put off dealing with these while they wait and see whether pandemic-driven flexibility is only temporary. Our data shows greater flexible working is very much a permanent fixture,” she added. “We’re encouraging all employers to embrace the way we work now, to be intentional and proactive in their approach to flexible working, and to make evidence-based, data-driven decisions on what works best for their people, their organisation and their customers.”

The research shows that while flexible working has increased overall in Scotland, about three in ten (31 per cent) of Scottish workers still don’t work flexibly, and salary is the biggest differentiator in who can work flexibly. A total of 80 per cent of workers earning more than £50,000 work flexibly, compared with 57 per cent of workers earning less than £20,000.

Martin Glover, chief people officer at law firm Morton Fraser MacRoberts.

Frontline workers, such as nurses, teachers and factory workers, are less likely to work flexibly than people who are mostly office or desk-based. A total of 64 per cent of frontline workers work flexibly, compared with 73 per cent of office or desk-based employees.

Law firm Morton Fraser MacRoberts employ nearly 500 people and has a “presumption of hybrid” for all staff who can work from home, as well as offering other forms of flexibility, such as part time, staggered hours and term-time working.

Martin Glover, the firm’s chief people officer, said: “Ultimately we trust our staff to manage their time so they do their best work, and they decide in conjunction with their manager whether that’s at home, in the office or with a client. As lawyers, we account for all our time, so it’s very obvious if our productivity drops. There’s been no negative impact because of us working more flexibly.

“But we have seen a difference in our recruitment and retention. Whether people can work at home is often one of the first questions candidates ask about, and we know being able to work flexibly is something our existing staff value highly.”

The UK’s new employment rights act, which is due to come into force in October 2026, includes measures that are likely to make it harder for employers to unreasonably refuse flexible working requests. The legal changes will grant greater powers to employment tribunals to scrutinise the reasons employers give for refusing flexible working, and whether these decisions were reasonable.

Scottish Government employment minister Tom Arthur said: “This report shows the demand for flexible working has not waned since the pandemic, and is helping to improve employee wellbeing and boost business growth. To support more people enter, remain and progress in the workplace the Scottish Government has provided more than £1 million for employers to adopt flexible working practices since 2020.”

Scottish workers demands for greater flexibility falling on deaf ears