Most managers believe flexible working helps productivity, UK study shows

Managers have embraced hybrid working but many still think long hours are needed for career progress

Managers no longer stigmatise flexible working, believing it results in improved productivity – though long hours are still seen as essential for career progress, research suggests.

Managers are more positive about flexible working than they have ever been, with three-quarters believing that it increases productivity and 62.5% considering that it boosts motivation, according to a survey of 597 managers across the UK by the Equal Parenting Project at the University of Birmingham.