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Newspage RawSource: Sarah Gatford, Sarah Gatford Ltd

A third of us don't feel comfortable asking for flexible working. What would change that?

ended 07. October 2026

It's National Work Life Week (5 to 9 October). Since April 2024, every employee has had the right to request flexible working from day one, and most employers say they offer it. Yet nearly a third of employees say they wouldn't feel comfortable asking.

More changes are coming in Autumn 2027 under the Employment Rights Act 2025, aimed at more meaningful discussion between employers and employees. The law is moving towards the conversation. Are we ready for the conversation?

I'd like your views on what would make asking for flexible working feel easier. For example:

  • What stops people from asking, and what would help them do it?
  • Managers and HR - what makes these conversations go well?
  • Freelancers and the self-employed - you have all the flexibility going. Does flexibility give you balance, or make switching off your problem?

Include one practical tip an employee or manager could use this week. Personal experience is welcome alongside professional insight.

6 responses from the Newspage community

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Sarah GatfordVerified
The Positivity Pathfinder - Head of Interactions at Sarah Gatford Ltd
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I'm freelance, so I have all the flexibility going. It's no guarantee of balance. Nobody tells me when to stop, so knowing when to stop is my job, and some weeks I'm rubbish at it.

Employees often have the opposite problem. The right to ask is there, yet asking still feels risky.

Either way, the policy is rarely the whole problem, the conversation is. Sometimes with your manager, more often with yourself.

Managers saying, "My door's always open", isn't always seen as an opportunity to talk. Asking, "What would make your week work better?", is.

Before you ask anyone else, write down what you'd ask for if you knew the answer was yes. Most people never say this, even to themselves. Once you can, the conversation with your manager gets a lot easier.
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Tony SanchezVerified
Founder at Bridging Loan Directory
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Running Bridging Loan Directory gives me flexibility over when and where I work, but switching off still takes a conscious effort. There is always another story, email or conversation to pick up.

One small thing I already do is put a note in my email signature saying that, although it suits me to send a message now, I don’t expect a response outside the recipient’s working hours. My flexibility shouldn’t become somebody else’s obligation to be available.

My practical tip is to make the expected response time clear. If something can wait until tomorrow, say so. That removes some of the guesswork about whether an evening message needs an evening reply.
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Kate UnderwoodVerified
Founder & Chief People Strategist at Kate Underwood HR & Training
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Why don't people ask? Half of them don't know what they're allowed to ask for. Say "flexible working" and everyone hears "working from home". Wrong. It's starting at 10. Finishing early on a Friday. Four longer days. Term-time only. A job share. If you think it means a laptop on the sofa, you'll never ask when your job is on a till. Flexible working isn't a place. It's a pattern. The other blocker is fear of looking less committed. So don't ask for a favour. Bring a plan: here's the change, here's how the work still gets done, let's trial it for three months.
Managers, the worst answer isn't no. It's silence. You have two months to respond, so have the conversation properly. I've worked flexibly for 11 years as an on-demand HR expert. The freedom is brilliant. Switching off is the hard bit. My laptop has no off button. I do. Your tip for this week: write your ideal week, then write how the work still gets covered. That second list is what gets you a yes.
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Kelly SmallcombeVerified
Fractional Chief People Officer at Meliorem HR Consultancy
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Flexible working is the cheapest benefit an employer can offer. It costs nothing and signals trust. Yet too many businesses still treat presence as proof of performance. A green icon between 9 and 5 tells you nothing about output. Manage the outcome, not the hours. People stay quiet because they read the culture, not the policy, so raise flexibility first. This week, ask each direct report: what would help you do your best work? The law is moving towards the conversation. Managers need to be ready for it
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Amelia BrookeVerified
Career Coach at Amelia Brooke Career Vision
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People hesitate to ask for flexibility because they treat it like a favour rather than a strategic conversation. What helps is changing the timing and the mindset. When I coach clients, I tell them their biggest leverage is at the job-offer stage. The employer has chosen you over everyone else, and that’s when you hold the power to negotiate flexible terms and salary.

My practical tip is to reframe the conversation around trust and delivery from a position of strength. Before accepting an offer, present a simple plan that details how your preferred schedule supports your productivity and their business goals. This allows you to negotiate from a place of confidence, not retrospectively or apologetically.
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Astrid DaviesVerified
Founder and CEO at ADCL
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I took the decision to make flexible working a non-negotiable when I took new jobs, before I started my own company. Part due to wanting to be a bit more present for my children (not sure it was quite what they wanted!) and part due to wanting a better balance between my worklife & my homelife, it was a decision I took 26 years ago & it's served me AND employers well.
People don't like to ask for flexible working because, in the main, far too many managers lack the confidence to trust their workforce and, as a result, are utterly dismissive of the potential benefits. Some founders are the worst offenders & sadly it applies across the genders. You have to trust your workforce & you do that by getting to know them, to learn what motivates them. If you find out what they want (don't assume it's always cash as these days it often isn't), and you help them to achieve that, you are well on the way to a trusting, productive & mutually profitable solution. Flexibility's a win:win for all.