The work life we want
Flexibility is now a must-have for workers and employers alike.
How can we shape new, sustainable models of work that benefit both parties?
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As we saw in chapters 1 and 2, the world of work is being transformed by digital technology and demographic shifts.
Those changes are happening alongside another major transformation: our attitudes to work are changing. In the past, we had to adapt our life to fit it in with our work. Today, that script has flipped: we expect our work to adapt to our lifestyle and our life stage. Flexibility is non-negotiable.
And flexibility doesn’t just benefit employees. As we saw in chapter 1, businesses are attempting to be more reactive to changes in their employment needs in the face of strategic uncertainty. And to expand their talent pool, they know they need to offer new ways of working.
Creating and embedding flexibility that's truly sustainable demands a new paradigm. One that offers workers more diverse ways of working and a rewarding experience, whatever their contract — and at the same time meets the resourcing and talent needs of business.
Where do we want to work, and when?
In our global survey, most senior executives say that, following the Covid-19 pandemic, employees place as much value on flexibility around where and when they work as on things like pay and benefits. Employers should think carefully about asking people to return to the office — particularly when workers might feel like pay is falling behind the cost of living.
of senior executives
say that following the pandemic, employees place as much value on flexibility around where and when they work as they do on compensation
But a battle has started between employers and employees, says Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., president and CEO at SHRM. Some major businesses, for instance, have issued five-day office mandates, including UPS, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Boeing.
“We expect that we will have some significant employee relations issues," says Taylor. "We forecast in our State of the Workplace report that by the end of 2024, 20% of the US workforce will be allowed to work remotely and 80% will be back in the office."
Other businesses, meanwhile, are experimenting with when their people work — and in some cases are permanently adopting new approaches. One of these is the four-day week. In the UK, 89% of the employers that took part in a significant trial in 2022 were still operating a four-day policy a year later.
INTERVIEW:
Creating rewarding opportunities
Becky Smith Workforce and ESG Executive for Europe at IBM
The pandemic reshaped the world of employment. At the time, the shift to remote working was largely seen as a short-term solution to the global disruption, but it has led to a longer-term cultural change in how we organize our work. Flexibility has benefits from both a staff and an employer perspective; however, careful consideration is needed to balance the needs of the business with those of the individual.
The rise of AI is accelerating the pace of change, adding further complexity to the questions of when, where and how we work. This emerging technology will require many employees to embrace new skill sets — making the opportunity to retrain or upskill a major advantage for companies in a competitive job market. How are employers recognising and responding to this shift?
In this episode of the Work We Want, FT Longitude’s Senior Editor Jen Hardwick is joined by Becky Smith, Workforce and ESG Executive for Europe at IBM. Together, they explore how the very culture of work is changing — and how this is reflected in the relationships between employees, employers and policy makers.
How employers can meet workers’ evolving expectations
As employers adjust their approach to where and when work is done, some workers are seizing the initiative and taking control of how they work.
Barry Asin, chief analyst at global staffing and workforce solutions research and advisory firm Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA), points to the healthcare sector, where demand for workers has spiked in the wake of the pandemic. “Many of those healthcare professionals are deciding that traditional jobs are not their ‘thing’ anymore,” says Asin. “They'd much rather work on a temporary basis — work for three months and then take three months off and recover.”
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Many of those healthcare professionals are deciding that traditional jobs are not their ‘thing’ anymore.
Barry Asin
Chief analyst
Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA)
A CEO of a UK-based educational trust says that organisations are losing talent because of their inability to offer flexibility. “If you're a teacher, you generally need to be in front of a class from 9am to 3pm,” the CEO says. “I know of teachers who have gone to work for the NHS because they've been able to do that work at home, for not much less money — and have gained flexibility in how they work. How do we remain competitive when other sectors offer that flexibility and we don’t?”
Flexible careers
Flexibility is not just about whether people want to be on site or working full time. It’s also emerging in how people think about their work over the course of a career. In our survey, most senior executives say that the idea of a person following one career path in their lifetime has gone for good.
of senior executives
say that the idea of a person following one career path in their lifetime has gone for good
Instead, many people are likely to follow multi-stage careers, working in different industries and different types of roles. They are also likely to have periods when other aspects of life, such as caring responsibilities or reskilling, are the priority.
This is one of many factors fuelling a rise in people desiring freelance or agency work. Dr Anna Gurun, director of future of work at UK consultancy HSM Advisory, says demand has been created from both sides of the employment relationship. “On the individual side, people want to work in different ways, and don’t want a traditional relationship with organisations," says Gurun. "But we’re also seeing the demand coming from organisations themselves, because they have skills gaps they need to fill.”
Short-term projects create demand for particular skills. “A lot of the organisations we're speaking to want specific skills for defined projects that they don't want to bring in full time,” says Gurun. “So they're using freelance and contingent talent for that.”
The CEO of a UK-based educational trust backs this up. “Our agency partners can offer swift access to someone who can come and teach a class, with the flexibility you get from having a pool of people ready and waiting to go. We try to build relationships with certain companies to get consistency and ensure the quality of who we’re getting.”
REAL-WORLD VOICES
The best of both worlds (United States)
Souphak Kienitz was interested in finding a profession that allowed her the flexibility to earn an income while also developing her clothing brand. She was referred to Advent Talent Group, where she was able to openly share her personal and career goals, including her need for flexibility, with her recruiter. This was a welcome change from her previous job search experiences.
Shortly after, Advent matched Kienitz with an opportunity as a part-time, temporary front desk receptionist at the Minneapolis Foundation, an organization that promotes civic engagement and community investments. Her hard work and dedication caught the eye of the foundation's leadership, and Kienitz was soon offered the opportunity to work in a full-time capacity as a producer for the foundation's podcast. Her clothing brand, Jay Victoria, is launching soon.
A framework for sustainable flexibility
Workers and businesses alike can benefit from the flexibility offered by diverse forms of work. But embedding flexibility in a sustainable way requires appropriate and balanced legal frameworks to keep pace with this shift in the employment market.
Recent years have seen policymakers focus on access to social protections for gig workers because of the gaps exposed in existing legislation by platform service providers. In the EU, for example, agreement was reached in March 2024 on a new Platform Work Directive that aims to address misclassification and cut down misuse of self-employment rules by platform work service providers.
Appropriate regulation for diverse forms of work doesn't only cover digital labour platforms. Luc Triangle, general secretary at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), says that further changes are necessary. “In many countries, agency workers don’t benefit from the same rights and protections as permanent workers,” says Triangle. “Especially when it comes to collective representation.”
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In many countries, agency workers don’t benefit from the same rights and protections as permanent workers. Especially when it comes to collective representation.
Luc Triangle
General secretary
International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC)
In fact, the latest regulatory report from the World Employment Confederation (WEC) found that 85% of reporting countries have national-level regulation on equal pay and/or equal treatment of agency workers. Some variation may be expected however; WEC has argued that differences in industrial relations systems should be respected and that agency workers have different expectations and needs compared with workers on an openended contract.
Regulators need to think about some of the broader consequences of how work is changing, says Stijn Broecke, senior economist at the OECD. “It's really important to get a legal framework for the changes we’ve seen in workers’ expectations,” says Broecke. “For example, we need to define the rights that workers have to demand flexible arrangements, and the conditions under which employers can or cannot refuse them.”
“
It's really important to get a legal framework for the changes we’ve seen in workers’ expectations.
Stijn Broecke
Senior economist
OECD
A framework for sustainable flexibility
Workers and businesses alike can benefit from the flexibility offered by diverse forms of work. But embedding flexibility in a sustainable way requires appropriate and balanced legal frameworks to keep pace with this shift in the employment market.
Recent years have seen policymakers focus on access to social protections for gig workers because of the gaps exposed in existing legislation by platform service providers. In the EU, for example, agreement was reached in March 2024 on a new Platform Work Directive that aims to address misclassification and cut down misuse of self-employment rules by platform work service providers.
Appropriate regulation for diverse forms of work doesn't only cover digital labour platforms. Luc Triangle, general secretary at the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), says that further changes are necessary. “In many countries, agency workers don’t benefit from the same rights and protections as permanent workers,” says Triangle. “Especially when it comes to collective representation.”
“
In many countries, agency workers don’t benefit from the same rights and protections as permanent workers. Especially when it comes to collective representation.
Luc Triangle
General secretary
International Trade Union
Confederation (ITUC)
In fact, the latest regulatory report from the World Employment Confederation (WEC) found that 85% of reporting countries have national-level regulation on equal pay and/or equal treatment of agency workers. Some variation may be expected however; WEC has argued that differences in industrial relations systems should be respected and that agency workers have different expectations and needs compared with workers on an open-ended contract.
Regulators need to think about some of the broader consequences of how work is changing, says Stijn Broecke, senior economist at the OECD. “It's really important to get a legal framework for the changes we’ve seen in workers’ expectations,” says Broecke. “For example, we need to define the rights that workers have to demand flexible arrangements, and the conditions under which employers can or cannot refuse them.”
“
It's really important to get a legal framework for the changes we’ve seen in workers’ expectations.
Stijn Broecke
Senior economist
OECD
REAL-WORLD VOICES
A successful model for responsible and sustainable flexibility (France)
Christine Lenoir works as a production operator at a French biotech company through a CDI intérimaire (CDII). Created in 2014, this “temporary permanent contract” responds to workers’ desire for flexibility while guaranteeing them security and stability. “With the CDI intérimaire, I combine employment security with the ability to perform different roles," explains Lenoir. "All these different roles. All these different work experiences increase my skillset, and therefore my adaptability and employability. I’m so proud of what I have achieved as a career.”
For Lenoir's employer bioMérieux, the CDII intérimaire offers the chance to develop the competencies of its workforce over the long term, and to build expertise and resilience in its processes.
The CDII combines the advantages of a permanent contract with those of temporary work. Between roles, the temporary workers’ salaries are paid by the agency, which stops them from flipping between employment and unemployment. It encourages work agencies to provide personalised follow-up of workers and training to ensure their employability. The temporary permanent contract has been one of the most successful models for responsible and sustainable flexibility in France. In this video, explore the benefits of the CDII for both worker and organisation.
Rewarding experiences for all
Different legal frameworks mean that employers need to level up the experience of work to provide rewarding opportunities for all.
In our survey, most executives say they feel “fully” or “mostly” able to offer rewarding experiences to agency workers. But only about a third feel “fully” able, which could be the result of barriers created by local regulatory regimes.
Most organisations feel empowered to offer agency workers rewarding experiences
Benefits and development opportunities
The executives in our survey say their organisations offer numerous benefits to both permanent employees and agency workers.
But there are some gaps. One critical gap is often access to training and development: 59% say their organisation offers training opportunities to agency workers, compared with 74% for permanent employees. Agency workers might benefit from diverse on-the-job learning as they switch between roles, but it’s also important to give them access to more formal training. Staffing companies – acting as the formal employer of agency workers – often provide training (as well as social benefits), while bipartite training funds or individual learning accounts can help ensure access to training for workers who don't have a long-term relationship with an end-user company.
As the disruption sparked by digital technology and AI increases, upskilling will help to ensure that agency work remains an attractive and sustainable work option for individuals – and continues to deliver for employers.
Rewarding experiences for all
Different legal frameworks mean that employers need to level up the experience of work to provide rewarding opportunities for all.
In our survey, most executives say they feel “fully” or “mostly” able to offer rewarding experiences to agency workers. But only about a third feel “fully” able, which could be the result of barriers created by local regulatory regimes.
Most organisations feel empowered to offer agency workers rewarding experiences
Benefits and development opportunities
The executives in our survey say their organisations offer numerous benefits to both permanent employees and agency workers.
But there are some gaps. One critical gap is often access to training and development: 59% say their organisation offers training opportunities to agency workers, compared with 74% for permanent employees. Agency workers might benefit from diverse on-the-job learning as they switch between roles, but it’s also important to give them access to more formal training. Staffing companies – acting as the formal employer of agency workers – often provide training (as well as social benefits), while bipartite training funds or individual learning accounts can help ensure access to training for workers who don't have a long-term relationship with an end-user company.
As the disruption sparked by digital technology and AI increases, upskilling will help to ensure that agency work remains an attractive and sustainable work option for individuals – and continues to deliver for employers.
REAL-WORLD VOICES
The perfect balance: flexibility and purpose (Switzerland)
Hanane S. worked in the private sector for several years before deciding to shift towards a profession that would be more in line with her values. She posted her CV on an online platform and was contacted by a staffing company for an assignment at an NGO in the humanitarian sector in Switzerland.
She believes that temporary work, and particularly the flexibility that it provides, allows for entry into sectors where people may not be familiar with the inner workings. She particularly appreciates the relationship of trust and support offered by her employer.
As an example, her advisor always contacts her at the end of her assignments to discuss the next steps. The kindness of her advisor makes her feel like an employee rather than a product.
Reflecting on her seven years in temporary work, she values the quality of social benefits it offers. She has also already taken advantage of the training opportunities provided by the Swiss bipartite training fund for agency workers. “It’s mostly the work environment that matters to me," she says. "I would not want to work for a company that is only interested in profit. I would like to continue to work in a position that can always challenge me and where I can perform.”
The future of work is more diverse
The jobs landscape will keep on evolving through 2024 and beyond. The backlash against full remote working will gather momentum in some areas, but many employees will continue to prioritise flexibility to balance the role of work in their lives. Employers that don’t meet those expectations by providing diverse options for work might miss out on talent – leaving them struggling as shortages persist.
Fortunately, most executives recognise that the work of the future is more diverse and more flexible, not less. The workforce itself has never been so diverse, nor its expectations so varied and so different from what has gone before. As businesses grapple with a strategic environment defined by uncertainty, rapid technological change and a global talent crunch, the world of work has already moved away from a one-size-fits-all model based on permanent, direct, full-time contracts to one that also includes more diverse and flexible contracts.
The majority of executives we surveyed – 83% – say there’s a need to build awareness of the diverse types of contract available to workers today, and to enable individuals to choose what suits them best. But only 38% of business leaders feel fully empowered to get the optimal mix between diverse forms of work and only 37% feel fully empowered to recruit agency workers at the scale they would like.
This creates a need for policymakers to ensure that legal frameworks recognise the value of diverse forms of work, as well as organised and regulated forms of work. Employment law should to empower businesses to provide rewarding work experiences for everyone, regardless of their employment contract. In some regions, labour market reforms are necessary to make it easier for everyone to approach their working lives in the way they choose.
The HR services industry has done a lot to provide economic opportunity and drive social justice by ensuring appropriate treatment, providing transferable and portable rights, and creating safety nets for workers. It will also play a central role in creating work solutions that simultaneously provide the kind of work people want and meet businesses’ fast-evolving needs.
The World Employment Confederation is the voice of the private employment services industry at the global level, representing national federations as well as workforce solutions companies from across the world. Members of the World Employment Confederation represent a wide range of HR services, including agency work, direct recruitment, career management, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and Managed Service Provider (MSP).
Stay in touch
World Employment Confederation – Avenue du Port 86c/302 – B-1000 Brussels – T. + 32 2 203 38 03