Breaking down barriers: how remote and hybrid work can support disabled workers

This report finds that six years on from Covid-19, access to remote and hybrid work has become essential to many people who are disabled or have long-term health conditions. The report describes the findings of a UK-wide survey of people with disability and in-depth interviews with survey participants and employers. Most of the disabled people who participated reported a strong preference for continuing to work remotely or in a hybrid way, and positive impacts on their health, employment and personal circumstances. 

Key findings

• 46% of participants wanted to work remotely all the time and there was also demand for hybrid working.
• Women, carers and people with multiple or severely limiting impairments/health conditions were particularly likely to report they only wanted to work from home.
• 85% of participants said that having access to remote/hybrid working would be essential or very important if looking for a new job. 

Policy recommendations

• Expand access to remote and hybrid jobs by making these and other forms of flexible working a core part of efforts to increase disabled people’s employment.
• Encourage employers to advertise flexibility upfront.
• Address regional inequalities in access to hybrid work.
• Strengthen reasonable adjustments, ensuring employers properly consider remote and hybrid working.
• Improve accountability, including requiring large employers to report on outcomes for disabled workers.