The landscape of work in the UK has shifted dramatically. With the Employment Rights Act 2025 now making flexible working a day-one right, employers face a dual challenge – complying with new legislation while ensuring that teams working flexibly across locations and hours are engaged, connected and high-performing. You can read more on these changes here.
Flexible work is no longer optional. It is an expectation. Organisations that approach it reactively risk fragmentation, disengagement and lost productivity. Conversely, those who embrace it strategically are unlocking a better culture, stronger inclusion and increased resilience.
The Legal Imperative: Why Employers Must Act Now
Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, all employees have the right to request flexible work from their first day of employment. Employers must provide a reasonable justification in writing if they refuse a request, and these justifications are under greater scrutiny than ever.
Some of the legally reasonable grounds for refusing a request include:
- Inability to meet core operational needs from a remote location.
- Impact on team collaboration or client service that cannot be mitigated.
- Insufficient resources or equipment to support safe and effective remote work.
Even when refusals are legally justified, employers cannot ignore the strategic opportunity this legislation presents. Flexible work is no longer just a compliance issue, it is a chance to reimagine how teams operate, connect and perform.
Organisations that take proactive steps to embrace the future of work are far more likely to thrive. Simply meeting the minimum legal requirements isn’t enough. Flexible and working must be woven into the organisation’s core values and culture. The good news is that there is ample time to put the right infrastructure in place and develop the right conditions for it to really add value, but action is needed now to set teams up for long-term success.
Current statistics
Research conducted by Gallup demonstrates the ever-changing landscape of remote and hybrid working. Their latest research shows that of those that have remote working capabilities, 52% work hybrid, 26% are fully remote, and only 21% are on site full time. Compare this to pre-covid stats and the need to implement a robust hybrid and remote working strategy has never been clearer:
The benefits of effective hybrid working
When implemented thoughtfully, hybrid work offers organisations multiple advantages:
- Increased Productivity – Employees benefit from autonomy and focus, while organisations gain more efficient, output-driven teams.
- Enhanced Inclusion – Thoughtful hybrid strategies remove barriers for employees who may struggle in traditional office environments. Our previous insight, explores this in depth.
- Stronger Talent Retention and Access – Flexible work widens the talent pool and encourages employees to stay engaged with the organisation.
- Improved Organisational Resilience – Well-connected remote teams can adapt quickly to change while maintaining productivity and culture, as we highlighted in our article about using hybrid working to improve your culture and performance.
41 % of employers believe hybrid working has increased productivity/efficiency (CIPD, 2025), but achieving these benefits requires more than policies, it demands intentional culture, leadership and communication strategies.
Learning from success - bold approaches to remote work
Success stories show that a bold, strategic approach to remote working can transform teams. In our podcast with Harriet Oppenheimer from RNID, Harriet shares how RNID embraced remote and digital working with courage, prioritising connection, inclusion and empowerment. Their experience highlights that:
- Being intentional about communication and collaboration tools is key.
- Flexibility and inclusivity can go hand-in-hand.
- Investing in team culture pays off in engagement, retention and performance.
RNID’s story is a clear example that highly connected teams can thrive remotely, even in complex or high-stakes environments.
Building a robust strategy for flexible working success
- Assess organisational capabilities – Understand where teams might struggle and what support they need.
- Define expectations clearly – Clarify roles, responsibilities, behaviours, communication routines and availability.
- Invest in connection – Schedule regular check-ins, team rituals and inclusive opportunities for collaboration and relationship-building.
- Monitor and adjust – Track engagement, performance, and wellbeing, and adapt strategies as needed.
- Be bold – Learn from organisations like RNID: don’t let fear of ‘getting it wrong’ prevent innovation in ways of working.
The Bottom Line
Flexible work is now non-negotiable in UK employment law, but it is also a strategic opportunity. Organisations that act now to design highly connected teams, wherever and whenever they work, will see measurable gains in productivity, engagement, inclusion and resilience.
At Pecan Partnership, we help organisations move beyond compliance to create flexible working teams that truly thrive, building a culture where connection, performance and inclusion are central, not optional.
Can Pecan Partnership help?
Navigating flexible working can feel daunting, but if done right there are so many benefits. As a highly flexible organisation ourselves, we firmly embrace the concept, we reap the benefits ourselves and have supported lots of organisations in their journeys too.
You can access our free resource which gives you f practical tips to make hybrid working a success in your organisation.
We also provide light-touch support or longer term guidance, whether you’re:
- Looking to align your flexible working policies with the Employment Rights Act 2025
- Seeking to improve team engagement, collaboration and inclusion
- Wanting to build a culture where flexible teams truly thrive
Get in touch for a no obligation conversation to see how we can support you on your journey or connect with us on LinkedIn to keep the conversation going.
