06/01/2026
Workers with long-term health conditions and in lower-paid jobs are less likely to be in roles offering flexible work options, according to research.
The Work Foundation think tank is urging employers to adopt flexible working arrangements ahead of changes in the Employment Rights Act that come into force in 2027.
Researchers found that workers with long-term health conditions are 9 percentage points less likely to be in jobs where they have autonomy to manage daily tasks or have flexible working hours, and 12pp less likely to have access to work location flexibility compared to those without.
Analysis of 3,796 working people released last week by the Work Foundation and the Centre for Organisational Health & Well-Being at Lancaster University found the most common forms of flexibility offered by employers in the UK included: freedom to make decisions about how to carry out daily tasks (64%); having flexible working hours (56%); and, being able to work from different locations, including home (48%).
The research found that workers in low-paid jobs (under £25k per year), who are more likely to work in sectors such as hospitality, retail and social care, are less likely to access flexibility and have control over their work than higher-paid workers (over £60k).
Only 54% of low-income workers had the freedom to make decisions about how to carry out daily tasks, compared to 82% of high-income workers, while 49% of low-income employees had flexible working hours, compared to 78% of high-income workers.
High-income workers were also twice as likely to have access to flexible work locations compared to low-income workers (76% vs 37%).
Employees currently have a right to make a statutory request for flexible working from their first day in a job. Under plans in the Employment Rights Act 2025, flexible working will be made the default for all employers in 2027, unless the employer can prove it is unreasonable.
Ben Harrison, director of the Work Foundation, said: “Flexible working is not a perk or a ‘nice to have’ – it can make the difference between someone suffering with their health being able to remain in work, or to return.
“Our analysis indicates that workers who face a health setback without any job flexibility are four times more likely to leave work. At a time of rising health challenges in the UK, employers should get ahead of upcoming legislative changes by reviewing how they can support all their workers to have access to different forms of flexibility in 2026. Introducing new forms of flexibility will disproportionately support disabled workers, especially those in low-paid sectors.”
Stavroula Leka, professor of organisations, work and health at Lancaster University, said: “Flexible work and control over tasks are key aspects of job quality and healthy work. Our results indicate that workers with long-term health conditions experience lower job quality, which risks exacerbating their health and creating a vicious cycle of economic inactivity. We urge employers to ensure a level playing field for all workers when it comes to job quality and healthy work.”
Clare McNeil, chief executive of the campaign group Timewise, said: “The gap between desk-based and frontline workers is widening when it comes to having control over working hours and patterns. As this analysis shows, it is overwhelmingly those in higher-paid roles who are able to work flexibly and have the freedom to make decisions about their tasks at work.
“Those in lower-paid roles also need access to this if we are to tackle near record levels of inactivity due to long-term sickness or disability. It’s time for businesses in all sectors of the economy to get smarter and use flexibility as a tool to attract and keep the best people. Timewise work with employers shows this is possible even in frontline sectors with complex operations and rigid working patterns, such as healthcare, construction and transport.”
Original Article: Personnel Today
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