Remote Work Decline Threatens Disabled Employment, Major Study Warns
Researchers have highlighted that flexible working arrangements can significantly enhance the physical and mental wellbeing of disabled individuals. A comprehensive study warns that a decline in remote job opportunities risks shutting disabled people out of the workforce, potentially undermining government efforts to reduce unemployment.
Study Findings on Remote Work Preferences
According to a two-year research project conducted by Lancaster University, more than 80% of working-age disabled respondents in a survey stated that access to home working was essential or very important when seeking new employment. Nearly half, or 46%, of participants in the Inclusive Remote and Hybrid Working Study expressed a desire to work remotely all the time, with disabled women and carers showing a higher preference for full-time home-based roles.
This demand contrasts sharply with current employer trends, as analysis of Adzuna job vacancy data indicates a reduction in remote job opportunities. In the financial year 2024-25, only 4.3% of job adverts were fully remote, which is half the peak level of 8.7% observed during the pandemic in 2020-21. Additionally, growth in hybrid job availability has stalled, with just 13.5% of vacancies offering hybrid work in 2024-25.
Impact on Unemployment Rates
The study's findings align with recent official job figures, which show that one in 11 disabled people were unemployed in the three months to December, representing a rate of 9.2%. This is double the average unemployment rate of 4.4% for the general population. The Office for National Statistics reported 547,000 unemployed disabled individuals, marking an increase of 110,000 since the same period in 2024.
The Work Foundation, a thinktank based at Lancaster University that coordinated the project with Manchester Metropolitan University, noted that while unemployment has risen across the UK economy, the rate has increased more rapidly for disabled people compared to non-disabled individuals.
Benefits of Remote Work for Disabled Employees
Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, this study involved interviews with over 1,200 disabled people and is billed as the largest of its kind in the UK. It found that 64% of fully remote disabled workers reported positive effects on their physical health, compared to only 31% of those working remotely less than half the time.
There is also strong demand for hybrid working models, with a quarter of respondents preferring to work from home four days a week and 27% opting for three days or fewer. Only a minimal 1.6% expressed a desire to cease working from home entirely.
Personal Experiences and Broader Implications
One respondent, Vera, a woman in her 20s working for a healthcare company in London, shared that remote work has enabled her to remain employed following stem cell treatment for multiple sclerosis. She emphasized that without remote options, she would be unable to work, managing cognitive fatigue through flexible hours and rest breaks.
Lead researcher Paula Holland commented that the increased availability of remote and hybrid work since before the pandemic has improved many disabled people's work experiences, offering benefits such as enhanced mental and physical health, better work-life balance, and increased productivity. However, she warned that companies mandating office returns have led to a plummet in remote-only opportunities, which could hinder disabled workers from staying employed.
A recent House of Lords report has called on ministers to prioritize remote and hybrid working to boost disabled people's employment, echoing the study's urgent recommendations.
