Londoners want more flexibility in how they work, says CIPD

Flexible workers in London are more satisfied with their jobs, feel under less pressure and have better work-life balance than those who don’t work flexibly, according to new research from the CIPD.

Londoners also spend an average of 47 minutes travelling to work each way, compared to the national average of 31 minutes. Many are travelling for the equivalent of at least one full working day in a ‘typical’ week, it found.

The CIPD’s survey comes four years after the London 2012 Olympics, which was hoped to be a catalyst for change in terms of how businesses and individuals in London approach flexible working while taking pressure off road and rail infrastructure in and around the capital.

Despite having much longer commuting times than the national average, fewer employees living in London work flexibly in some way (52%) compared to the national average (54%), the CIPD found. This was also in spite of the fact that those workers who did have flexible arrangements tended to be satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs – 69% of respondents compared to 52% who did not work flexibly.

Fewer flexible workers in London suffered from stress, too. Almost a quarter (23%) of those who worked flexibly were happy with their work-life balance, compared to just one in 10 of those who did not. Better work life balance and less time spent commuting were the top reasons behind a desire to work flexibly, the CIPD found.

David D’Souza, Head of CIPD London, said: “There’s a clear divide in the quality of working lives between London workers who work flexibly and those that don’t.

“Flexible workers are happier workers but there is still far too much focus on traditional 9-5 work cultures and an ongoing challenge of businesses placing too much value on time spent at the desk and not enough on people’s actual outputs. Where Londoners are working flexibly, this is mostly restricted to part-time working or flexi-time unless they are a middle or senior manager. Rather than being the preserve of more senior managers, the opportunity to work flexibly in different ways needs to become the norm for many more employees.”

In light of its findings, the CIPD is calling for a government-led campaign to boost the uptake of flexible working, and for London’s new mayor to support flexible labour initiatives.

D’Souza added: “We need real action on flexible working from Government, the new Mayor of London and from businesses. As new generations enter the labour market with different expectations about how they want to work and older generations stay in work longer, the rigid working habits too many employers still abide by will have to change.”

“The next Mayor of London should work with employers and bodies like the CIPD to lead a campaign to change attitudes, learn from best practice and expand the types of flexible working available.”