The Hypocrisy of Flexibility: Why Leaders Love It for Themselves but Not for You

Flexible Working: A Privilege for Some, a Problem for Others?

Picture this: You’re at home, working through your to-do list, when a delivery driver rings the bell with your groceries. Later, a mobile beauty therapist comes over to sort your brows, and in the evening, a doctor turns up to give your child a check-up—right in your living room.

We’ve all come to love the convenience that flexible working offers—when it benefits us. Need something at 10 p.m.? No problem. Expecting a parcel before the school run? Sorted. But when it comes to extending that same flexibility to employees, suddenly, leaders take a sharp intake of breath and claim that if people aren’t physically in an office from 9 to 5, productivity will crumble.

Make it make sense please!

Flexibility Works—Until It’s for Workers

Here’s the contradiction: Businesses thrive because of flexible working. The people who own and lead these companies happily enjoy round-the-clock services from delivery drivers, childcare providers, remote consultants, and healthcare professionals. But when their own employees ask for the same freedom to balance work and life, it’s met with resistance.

Why? Because too many leaders still equate presence with productivity. The outdated belief that “if I can see you, I know you’re working” is alive and well—even though we have years of evidence proving that flexible working works.

And let’s be honest—most of the people demanding office-based work every day have themselves benefited from flexible setups. They’ve taken the midday gym break, popped out for personal appointments, and worked from their holiday home. But when it’s about extending that privilege to working mums or anyone who doesn’t fit the ‘ideal’ corporate mould, suddenly, it’s a logistical nightmare.

The Suit-and-Boot Brigade

For many of us—especially working mothers—showing up in an office five days a week isn’t just inconvenient; it’s impossible. The idea that flexible working should only be reserved for those who can ‘suit and boot’ up to the office every day is exclusionary. It assumes that people’s lives neatly fit into rigid office hours, when in reality, they don’t.

Who picks up the kids? Who deals with school emergencies? Who’s handling life admin when everything is built around a 9-to-5 model? It’s working mothers who are expected to ‘just figure it out’—usually at the cost of career progression, mental health, or both.

And yet, let’s not forget: Businesses need flexibility to function. The same leaders who insist that teams need to be in an office every day have no problem relying on shift workers, freelancers, and contractors who operate outside traditional hours. They just don’t want to acknowledge that the same flexibility should extend to their own workforce.

Productivity Has Moved On—So Should Leadership

The reality is, people don’t need to be watched like hawks to do their jobs well. In fact, flexible working has been shown to increase productivity. Studies repeatedly show that when employees are given the trust and freedom to manage their own schedules, they perform better—not worse.

So why are so many businesses still resisting it?

Because for some leaders, control matters more than outcomes. If they can’t physically see you, they assume you’re slacking off. It’s an outdated mindset that ignores the fact that results—not desk hours—are what really drive success.

Flexibility Shouldn’t Be a Luxury

If flexible working is good enough for those at the top, it’s good enough for everyone else. It’s not a perk; it’s a necessity for an inclusive, modern workforce. And let’s be real—if businesses can make it work when it benefits them, they can certainly make it work for the people who keep their companies running.

So, next time someone tells you flexible working is bad for business, ask them this: How did that urgent parcel land at their door at 7 a.m.? Who made sure they could get an out-of-hours service when they needed it? If flexibility works for their convenience, why shouldn’t it work for ours?

It’s time to stop treating flexibility like an exclusive club and start making it a right for all workers.