The Work Foundation at Lancaster University responded to the figures on who has access to hybrid work released by the Office for National Statistics. Rebecca Florisson, Principal Analyst of the Work Foundation at Lancaster University commented:

“Hybrid and remote working was heralded as bringing in a new dawn of flexible and inclusive work, but today’s release show it is out of reach for many.

“Whilst almost three in five (59%) people with higher education degrees or equivalent have access to hybrid or remote work, only around one in three (34%) of those with qualifications below degree level have access. In addition, those on lower incomes and people who live in the most deprived areas are also likely to miss out on these important forms of flexibility.

“At a time when the Government is trying to increase the number of disabled people in the workforce, they must work with employers to make hybrid and remote accessible to more people. A recent Department for Work and Pensions study showed that a quarter of those out of work and claiming health and disability benefits state they might be able to work if they could do so remotely.

“But today’s data shows that disabled people have less access to remote and hybrid work (24%) than non-disabled workers (29%). Lancaster University’s study of disabled workers experiences of remote and hybrid work found that 85% of disabled workers stated that some working from home would be essential when looking for a new job.

“The demand for remote and flexible work continues to grow, and yet our study shows that job listings with hybrid options are plateauing and those with remote options are declining to almost pre-pandemic levels. To meet its aim of raising the labour market participation rate to 80%, the Government should work with employers to provide access to flexible and inclusive working for those who are currently missing out.”