78% of UK Workers Say Flexible Working Shapes Job Choices

Nearly eight in 10 UK workers — 78% — say flexible working is important in a job, according to a YouGov poll commissioned by the conciliation service Acas, which today published its revised code of practice for consultation. Only 20% of workers polled said flexibility was not important to them.

The numbers arrive at a moment when the legal ground under flexible working is shifting. From Autumn 2027, under secondary legislation tied to the Employment Rights Act, managers in Britain will be required to hold a meeting with an employee before rejecting a flexible working request — a meeting in which they must discuss potential alternatives and address any barriers. Acas has revised its statutory code of practice to reflect that change, and opened a public consultation on the draft at 10am on 1 October.

What the revised code asks of employers

The draft code advises employers on how to consult with employees after a request is made and how to keep those conversations constructive. It rests on four principles: reaching decisions based on evidence; adapting where possible to accommodate a request; working together to find solutions; and acting transparently and consistently. Acas stresses that application will depend on circumstances, including a company's size, resources and operational needs.

Acas chair Baroness Jones said the consultation, which closes at 11:59pm on 17 December 2026, is seeking views on whether the code is "clear and practical". Until the new law and updated code take effect in Autumn 2027, employers should continue to follow the current code.

What this means for your position in the labour market

For individual workers, the data point is straightforward leverage. If 78% of your colleagues value flexibility, and from 2027 a rejection will require a documented meeting exploring alternatives, a reasonable written request becomes materially harder to dismiss. For jobseekers, the signal is that an employer's flexible working policy is now a measurable differentiator in retention-sensitive hiring — lawyers and ministers are saying as much on the record.

Clare McNeil, CEO of flexible working non-profit Timewise, called the code "a valuable and necessary step" in turning the Employment Rights Act into practicable legislation. "Our work shows that even shift-based and site-based roles have more room for flexibility than employers often realise," she said. "The organisations that get ahead of this stand to gain the most through better retention, better wellbeing and thousands more people able to access and stay in work."

Minister for the Future of Work Kate Dearden framed the reform in retention terms: "Flexible working isn't just about where or when people work. For businesses it's an important part of retaining talent and building a stronger workforce, and for workers the right flexibility can be the difference between staying in a job or leaving it." She added that next year the government will provide "more protections that mean if flexible working suits them and their employer, they are free to do so without fear of a reasonable request being turned down."

Catrin Mills, a partner in the employment team at Sharpe Pritchard, said the survey delivered a clear message: "Flexible working is a key factor in deciding where to work and whether to stay. As the law moves towards greater protection for workers seeking flexibility, employers who are still reluctant to embrace new ways of working risk losing talent to more agile competitors."

Employers will still be able to refuse requests where there is a legitimate business reason, Mills noted, but the reforms place "even greater emphasis on meaningful consultation and careful consideration before a decision is reached". Her advice to employers: review flexible working policies and update manager training now, so requests are handled consistently, fairly and in line with the new legal requirements.

With the consultation running until 17 December 2026 and the new rules taking force in Autumn 2027, both employers and workers have a defined window to shape — and prepare for — a regime in which flexibility requests carry demonstrably more procedural weight.