New flex working law just in time: 4 in 10 Brits won't even apply for a job role that's not flexible

Almost every third job in IT is remote, making the sector a leader when it comes to flexible working, a new study  by electronic retailer Currys reveals. 

Since the end of the pandemic there has been a shift in mentality for many desk workers in the UK, with nearly half of them (49%) stating their desire for a flexible role has increased. A staggering 43% of Brits said they would NOT apply for an advertised job if the description didn’t explicitly state that it was flexible. 

This workforce shift to flex work is also incorporated by law, on April 6, 2024 every employee can ask for a flex working arrangements since say 1 (not 26 continuous weeks) and employees can make two flexible working requests every 12 months (it was one).The changes will probably affect employers that don’t offer flex work.

To see which industries already offer most flex jobs, Electronic retailer Currys analysed 762 remote job listings and found out which offer the highest average salary for this working situation. 

The analysis revealed that the highest percentage of remote roles were in the IT industry (29%), followed by financial services (21%) and then sales (16%). 

Remote jobs in IT also offered the highest average salary for their work-from-home positions, with £60,148 being the average salary for a remote role in this industry. 

10 best paid UK locations for flexible workers

Since remote working started to take an upward swing, the ability to work from anywhere, along with achieving a better work-life balance in the model, has been highlighted as its two major advantages. 

However, working from anywhere doesn’t necessarily mean the same salary. Figures reveal that the average work-from-home salary varies across the UK. The analysis found that companies based in the UK county of Hampshire were offering the highest average remote annual salary at £80,750. This was followed by East Sussex at £73,614 and Kent at £72,650. 

Surprisingly, despite a higher cost of living and the typical offering of London weighting, London did not rank high on the table of best average WFH salary, with central London remote roles offering an average of £58,760. This may be because despite the company being based in London, the remote offering means workers may not have the same London-associated costs, meaning a lower salary can be offered.

HRD Connect Curators of the New Business Landscape. HRD Connect produces industry-recognized content for senior HR leaders. Through articles, case studies, Q&As, podcasts, events, and more, we offer truly progressive and cutting-edge insights designed to help people leaders address core HR challenges and add greater value to their business.

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