Professionals Leave Rigid Jobs for Flexibility; 99% Would Stay for Flexible Work
Highly skilled professionals are leaving rigid jobs for flexible work, with 99% willing to stay longer for such options. Professions like law and accountancy struggle to adapt, leading to a talent drain, especially among women. New platforms are emerging to connect experienced professionals with flexible, well-paying roles, benefiting both employees and firms.
Highly skilled professionals are increasingly leaving rigid jobs for flexible work options, despite professions like law and accountancy failing to adapt to demographic shifts and changing attitudes. A survey by EmployFlex and EmployMum found 99% of workers would stay longer in a job with flexible working, and 78% would accept a lower salary for it. Yet, 87% find flexible roles difficult to secure.
Laura, a solicitor, quit her 60-plus hour week job after her request for part-time or remote work was denied, citing lack of flexibility and affordable childcare. John, an accountant in his 50s, left his firm after being unable to negotiate flexible terms despite being a top performer, seeking more time for travel and family care. These cases highlight a talent drain in Ireland, particularly among women in their child-rearing years, with one-third of female solicitors leaving the workforce and not returning, resulting in significant career and pension losses.
Traditional sectors like legal, accountancy, technology, engineering, and financial services often cling to a «long hours in the office» culture, losing valuable talent and then complaining about shortages. Employers spend thousands on recruitment while overlooking simple solutions like flexible work, which workers are willing to accept for less pay. Ireland has a high disparity in part-time employment between women (23%) and men (7%), with part-time roles often concentrated in lower-paid sectors, despite many women holding third-level degrees.
New platforms like Heron, EmployFlex, EmployMum, Agile Connect, and Career Returners are bridging this gap by connecting experienced professionals with flexible, part-time, or project-based roles that maintain professional rates. Heron, for instance, links vetted solicitors with firms needing qualified legal expertise outside full-time employment, offering freedom in work location and schedule. This benefits both professionals seeking better lifestyles and small firms needing to access talent and grow efficiently.