Workers who wish to work in a flexible environment are losing it

Three out of every four jobs posted in the UK do not offer any type of flexible work choices, according to a data review of over 5 million advertising. Part-time opportunities were highlighted by 19% of the low-paid jobs examined that paid up to £20,000 full-time equivalent.

This is even though between July and September, the number of job openings reached a 20-year high of 1.1 million. Timewise analyzed millions of advertisements for 17 words or phrases like “job-share.”

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, most employees now work flexibly in some capacity, and nine out of ten people say they want flexibility in their next job.

Carole MacLeod, who is now in her fifties and had a high-flying career as a consultant for a major UK telecoms company before having her daughter, is one of these job seekers. She is now seeking a career in a comparable field, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to find such positions.

“Now I cannot find a single good flexible job to apply for,” she remarked. She also stated that the labor market is overburdened. However, none of them provide respectable pay, interesting professional job, and flexibility.

Many mid-level workers, like Carole, are still unable to find work that meets their needs for flexibility and experience, despite a recent rise in job postings when Covid limitations were loosened.

Timewise co-founder Emma Stewart recommends businesses to be as transparent as possible about the types of ‘flexibility they offer. This might be on a three-day-a-week basis.

Approximately half of the job applicants, according to her, avoid opportunities that claim they are “open to flexible working.” They hunt for offers that are similar to the type of flexible pattern they are looking for. Similarly, one may search for jobs within a specific salary range.

According to Janine Bosak, professor of Organizational Psychology at Dublin City University Business School, there could be a variety of reasons why businesses are hesitant to emphasize flexible working in marketing. When someone starts a new job, for example, companies prefer that they be physically present to learn the skills and understand the business culture.

Employers may also be hesitant to emphasize flexible work hours in their advertising materials since it may be regarded as an entitlement to flexible working, whereas meeting a need for flexibility is not always viable, she noted.