WFH disconnect | Employees demand flexible work - CHROs aren't so sure...

Flexible working might be a hit with employees, but enthusiasm at the top seems harder to come by, says research.

According to Mercer’s Health on Demand 2025 report, just one-third of HR leaders globally see flexible working as a priority - even as employees continue to rate it among their most valued workplace benefits.

The report outlines a distinct mismatch between what workers want and what employers are offering. Nearly half (49%) of employees say flexible schedules, such as four-day weeks or compressed working patterns, would be helpful to them or their families, a figure that rises to 53% among millennials. Yet only 32% say these options are currently provided by their employers. When it comes to flexibility around where and when people work, the gap is similar, 42% want it, but just 31% have access to it.

Read more from us

Attrition | Return to office mandates make hiring & retention harder for HR, research finds

This shortfall comes as many organizations continue to push return-to-office mandates in a bid to re-establish “normal” business operations post-pandemic.