UK workers think freelancing can encourage more people to work

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Amid rising cost of living, 45% of workers say that freelance work and flexible working arrangements will encourage more people to get back to work and earn more income, according to a survey conducted by financial services firm Sonovate.

The survey revealed that 61% of employees in the United Kingdom (UK) think that freelancing is a way to help older workers who cannot afford to retire. 

“For these older people, flexibility is seen as vital to help them remain in the workforce as long as they need to.” the report read. 

Similarly, Sonovate’s research also found that flexibility remains as important as ever and is still a key requirement for 57% of workers.

Furthermore, 67% of businesses say they expect their staff to be a mix of freelancers and regular employees. At the same time, 68% think companies have an obligation to offer more flexibility to their workers while 14% are worried about freelance work being more precarious.  

“Flexibility hasn’t, until now, been a natural bedfellow for businesses, but companies are acknowledging more than ever that they must embrace rising demands for flexible working, as workers navigate rising inflation and the current recession. Workers are demanding flexibility in many guises and businesses need to become much more creative about the way they structure themselves, culturally, operationally, technologically, and financially, to meet these incoming demands and support their workers in this challenging climate.” said Richard Prime, co-founder and co-CEO, Sonovate.