Why remote working could actually help fix some diversity problems

In England, since 2014, all employees have had the legal right to request flexible working, but few of these requests were actually honoured. Just 30 per cent were accepted in 2019, while flexi-time was still made unavailable to 58 per cent of UK employees, according to the TUC. For disabled and neurodivergent employees, the need for flexible working is especially pressing. Office cultures designed for more neurotypical employees can throw up a number of obstacles. Sensory overload caused by lighting and sound, communication issues in team meetings and long commutes are all significant, but solvable, issues. But disability charities such as Leonard Cheshire have shown that there is a risk of neurodiverse individuals being frozen out of work altogether. However, Covid-19 has seen many companies implement remote working on a mass scale, and employers are realising just how easy adapting to different ways of operating can be.