Shifting flexibility: From perk to principle

In 2025, flexibility became one of the most significant shifts in how people approach work, strengthening collaboration, an expert has said.

Bridie Rees, senior people business partner APJ at monday.com, told HR Leader that flexibility has evolved from simply having the option to work from home to having greater choice over when work happens.

Benefits of schedule ownership

“Employees increasingly want ownership of their schedules, especially in global businesses where calls outside of 9–5 are common,” Rees said.

She noted that the level of flexibility that empowers workers to have ownership of their schedules is in allowing workers to start later, step out in the middle of the day, or shift hours entirely, providing an opportunity to balance work with family, health, and hobbies without compromise.

“Interestingly, this focus on ‘when’ has actually encouraged more people to come into the office when they are working, even if only for part of the day,” Rees said.

This has strengthened in-person collaboration, cross-functional alignment, and connection with peers, she added.

Challenges for flexible work

According to Rees, flexibility that only exists in theory will have inconsistent effects on the business; instead, it must be put into practice by the team’s manager, role, or team. She noted that HR professionals can proactively identify inconsistencies in flexibility arrangements by listening closely to employee feedback, reviewing engagement data (such as employee engagement surveys), and watching for patterns around burnout, attrition, or disengagement.

Another challenge that Rees identified was collaboration friction, where teams struggle when flexibility is not supported by the right systems, leaders, and clarity. Despite the impacts of this challenge, it can provide the opportunity for HR departments to partner with leaders to redesign workflows, clarifying when in-person time is most valuable, how decisions are made, and how teams stay aligned without defaulting to constant meetings, Rees noted.

Rees said that HR departments have a critical role in addressing unconscious biases that creep into flexible arrangements; for example, assumptions about commitment based on visibility or working hours.

“Clear frameworks, consistent language, and manager education are essential to ensure flexibility supports equity rather than undermines it,” she stressed.

“Ultimately, flexibility isn’t a ‘set and forget’ policy. HR teams need to treat it as an evolving practice, regularly reviewing what’s working, what isn’t, and adjusting as business and workforce needs change,” Rees said.

From a perk to a principle

According to Rees, the most effective flexibility strategies transcend work location, focusing on how and when work gets done. She added that HR departments play an important role in shifting flexibility from an individual perk to a clear, well-understood operating principle across the organisation.

“This starts with setting shared expectations rather than rigid rules, for example, being clear on core collaboration windows, outcomes that matter, and how teams stay connected, while still allowing individuals autonomy to manage their schedules around life commitments,” she said.

These arrangements are crucial in global or distributed businesses – employees will show up more engaged when flexibility recognises time zones, caregiving responsibilities, and energy peaks, Rees added.

She stated that the best type of flexible arrangements is paired with trust and a strong management capability. HR departments can support this by equipping leaders to manage outcomes as opposed to hours, and by normalising flexibility at senior levels so that it does not feel career-limiting, she said.

“When flexibility is consistently applied and culturally supported, it becomes a powerful driver of retention and engagement rather than a source of tension or inequity,” Rees concluded.