According to a study of over 1,000 UK office workers - conducted by flexible office specialists Workthere - those aged 25-34 years old are the most likely to expect more flexibility in their typical working week, post the pandemic.

Amongst the 25-34 year olds, 87 per cent now expect to be able to request flexible working in the future - as opposed to only 60 per cent of those aged over 55 years.

The wish for shorter hours and more flexibility is particularly obvious amongst younger staff, with 79 per cent stating that they already work less than 38 hours per week - the national average.  

However, it was found that 45-54 years old workers were twice as likely to work more than 38 hours, with 40 per cent stating that they are overworked - compared with only 20 per cent of the younger employees.

Nearly 86 per cent of workers in the younger age bracket said that their ideal working week would be less than 38 hours a week, as opposed to 78 per cent of 45-54 year old workers.

Workthere predicts that the growing pursuit of flexibility could remain for generations to come as a more relaxed approach to work appears amongst younger employees.

The BBC has revealed - through research - that at least a million UK employees are not expected to work at their office after the crisis. Of the UK’s biggest employers, 86 per cent have committed to flexible working for staff.

Cal Lee - Global Head of Workthere - remarked:

“With so many people working from home over the last year, it’s clear that this is altering the approach and attitude towards what we previously perceived to be a standard working week.

With the younger generations now used to having flexibility in their week, be it when or where they work, it appears this desire for more freedom is a trend that is set to develop further as the UK continues to recover from the pandemic.

This in turn may see more and more businesses re-evaluate their previous practices and make changes to accommodate this.”