The Work Foundation at Lancaster University - a leading think tank for improving working lives - is urging employers to adopt flexible working arrangements ahead of proposed Employment Right Act changes in 2027.
As the UK economy enters 2026 still blighted by near record levels of health-related economic inactivity, survey analysis released today by the Work Foundation and the Centre for Organisational Health & Well-Being, Lancaster University of 3,796 working people reveals that workers managing a health condition or disability are less likely to have access to flexible working options, which could be essential in supporting them to enter and succeed at work.
According to survey respondents, 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%).
However, researchers found that workers with long-term health conditions are nine percentage points less likely to be in jobs where they have autonomy to manage daily tasks or have flexible working hours, and 12 percentage points less likely to have access to work location flexibility compared to those without.
In addition, analysis shows that workers in low-paid jobs (under £25k per annum) - 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 (£60k+):
- only 54% of low-income workers were given the freedom to make decisions about how to carry out daily tasks, compared to 82% of high-income workers
- only 49% of low-income employees say they have flexible working hours, compared to 78% of high-income workers; and,
- high-income workers were 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. The Work Foundation is calling for employers not to wait for the introduction of the new flexible work measures in 2027, but to instead take early action in 2026.
Ben Harrison, Director of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University 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."
Researchers also made clear that flexibility at work is not just about hybrid or remote working. In particular, workers reported that access to flexibility and control over their job were particularly helpful interventions an employer could introduce to help them manage their health condition at work.
Of those with access to these forms of flexibility, the significant majority of workers with long-term health conditions found them helpful to managing their health condition at work:
- 90% of workers with a long-term health condition who were provided with more control over their work (in terms of job tasks, work pace, work manner, task order) found it helpful
- 88% of workers found access to flexible working hours useful
- 87% of workers reported benefits to have access to a flexible working location, including working from home, as helpful
- 86% of workers found being given the flexibility to change their job description and role useful.
Professor Stavroula Leka, Professor of Organisations, Work & Health at Lancaster University and Work Foundation Research Fellow 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."
Timewise Chief Executive, Clare McNeil, commented on the analysis: "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."
