00:00 Since the COVID pandemic, flexible working has become the new normal for many more people.
00:05 Virtual meetings, flexible working hours and more working from home has been on the increase
00:10 since many businesses were forced to adapt in 2020 to the restrictions of the pandemic.
00:16 With more employees valuing flexibility when it comes to where and when they work, research
00:20 from PayFit shows half of us would reject a 15% pay increase if it meant giving up workplace
00:26 flexibility such as working from home.
00:29 New rules are coming into effect from the 6th of April this year, allowing many UK workers
00:34 to request flexible working from day one of a new job.
00:37 We spoke to people in Manchester about their opinions on workplace flexibility.
00:42 I work at school and I like working with people.
00:47 I don't like being at home and I know people who have worked at home and have hated it
00:52 and gone back but then a close friend's husband, he loves it and stays at home.
00:57 Me personally, no, I like going to work.
01:00 So what about you Lily, are you thinking about it in future jobs?
01:05 Well I've actually just started thinking about it whether I want to go into more commercial
01:09 industry because I do photography.
01:13 So it's either if I do that or if I wanted to get even more of a degree in teaching so
01:18 I go more that kind of route.
01:19 So I still have yet to figure that out.
01:22 Do you like to be out working?
01:23 I do like to be out working, yeah.
01:25 I think it's crucial to be honest, if you look at most modern workplaces actually and
01:30 what we do in them, most offices aren't really set up for the type of work that we do, at
01:36 least that I do in the knowledge sector.
01:38 I mean I'm a programmer and it's a noisy place, the office, a lot of the time so I find working
01:43 at home, flexible work, in a much better way to be able to do that.
01:47 I've never really had an issue being able to get to know colleagues and meet up with
01:51 people I've never worked with.
01:53 And also if you're working for a large multinational you're working with international colleagues
01:57 anyway, so being in the same office has never been an issue for anything collaborative either.
02:03 Yeah, I'm a scientist so I work flexibly anyway but for me it's perfect because it's the perfect
02:08 blend of collaboration and then also getting on with things.
02:12 So like Tarek said, I can't write a paper when I'm in the office, there's just too much
02:16 more interesting things going on so I definitely prefer that kind of flexible.
02:21 And also there's core hours where obviously everyone's kind of on point but I'm not a
02:27 morning person, I'd much rather start later and work well into the evening and I think
02:32 flexible working really helps with that.
02:34 My office space is actually in London but I live up in the North West so flexible working
02:38 has to work for me, otherwise I'd have to move.
02:42 So from that perspective, yes it works.
02:44 I think from the whole workplace environment I'm not necessarily, I don't necessarily think
02:49 it's a good thing but for me it works at the moment so I'm not going to do it down.
02:55 But I think it also creates a problem within the workplace and culture and learning, particularly
03:01 for a younger generation.
03:02 I'm of an age where I've got my skills, I just crack on and get on with it, whereas for
03:09 the younger generation they're not getting that sort of learning experience from just
03:13 hearing what's going on around them.
03:15 I'm not actually working but I think it's vital, I think it's a really important part
03:19 of a working career to have that flexibility, yes.
03:24 Most of my friends that are still working have flexible arrangements, in fact my daughter
03:28 who works in London only works two days a week from London and the flexibility of that
03:34 is crucial.
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