The role of context in flexible working arrangement usage

Who uses flexible working arrangements (FWAs), when, and why – and what are the outcomes? This chapter theorises how the provision, use and consequences of flexible working arrangements (FWAs) are shaped by intersecting layers of context. Drawing on research from various disciplines, we show that workers’ experiences, perceptions and ‘choices’ regarding FWAs need to be understood as contingent on global, national, industry and occupational, organisational, demographic and temporal layers of context. We illustrate how complex intersections of these layers of context come to matter, attending to the power dynamics related to FWA accessibility and repercussions of use. We conclude by outlining future avenues for research including the need for further analysis of how different layers of contexts intersect, how these dynamics play out in relation to informal FWA arrangements and in occupations and industries where flexibility has historically been less prevalent, and the need to understand more about the longer-term impact of critical events on FWA perceptions.