A growing number of hourly workers nationwide say they want more flexibility in their jobs, a trend accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a recent survey from staffing technology firm MyWorkChoice.

North Carolina-based MyWorkChoice, which offers a scheduling app for employers and employees, surveyed more than 900 hourly workers in May and found that a growing number are seeking flexible work hours and scheduling tools as a way to deal with the challenges associated with the pandemic. Three-quarters of respondents said they want flexibility in their jobs and 70% said they would like the ability to use a mobile app to schedule their shifts, according to the study. In addition, 30% of respondents said they can’t return to scheduled hourly shifts due to family responsibilities resulting from the pandemic. Respondents included workers employed at warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and food distributors.

“While a growing sentiment pre-Covid-19, companies realize now more than ever that they can utilize flexibility to best attract, recruit, and retain today’s hourly workforce,” the researchers said in a statement announcing the survey’s findings. “Survey findings bear this out, revealing the ability for employees to choose when and how much to work through an app-based technology appealed to nearly 70% of respondents.”

Also, the survey found that as a result of additional responsibilities and conflicts, almost one out of five workers reported that 10-12 hour shifts would be “extremely or very unattractive in the post-Covid workforce environment.” What’s more, the ability for employees to choose when and how much they work surpassed their preference for a specific type of job by 20 basis points, the researchers said.

Other key findings include: 

• Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, 60% of hourly workers said they were working more than 36-hours each week, with 30% working two or more jobs.
• 56% of those hourly workers were also looking for new employment opportunities—and most said they valued flexibility in potential new employment opportunities.
• 42% of hourly workforce respondents said they’d had their hours and pay either reduced by more than 50% or eliminated completely as a direct result of the pandemic.
• Just 14% of the hourly workforce surveyed reported receiving unemployment assistance, and another 13% said they applied but had not received any payment. 

“The ability for companies to manage workforce operations and build in scalability amidst an uncertain economic period can be aided by flexibility,” the researchers also said.

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