How CIPD Frameworks Support Hybrid and Flexible Work

The landscape of work has undergone a fundamental and irreversible transformation, transitioning from a traditional office-centric model to a diverse ecosystem of hybrid and flexible arrangements. For people professionals, this shift presents both unparalleled opportunities for talent attraction and significant challenges in maintaining culture, management efficacy, and employee wellbeing. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) provides a comprehensive framework—centered on the Profession Map—that serves as a strategic compass for navigating these complexities. This article explores how the CIPD’s core knowledge areas and behaviors support the implementation, management, and optimization of hybrid and flexible work, grounded in the latest 2025 research and the legal context of the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023. By leveraging these frameworks, organizations can move beyond administrative compliance toward a strategic, people-centric model that champions better work and working lives.

The Permanent Shift in the Working Landscape

In the wake of global shifts in work patterns, “flexibility” has evolved from a peripheral benefit to a core organizational requirement. As of 2025, CIPD research indicates that 91% of employers offer some form of flexible working, with 74% operating hybrid models . This evolution is no longer just a response to a crisis but a fundamental rethink of the “social contract” between employer and employee. However, the transition has not been without friction. While 80% of employees report a positive impact on their quality of life, employers frequently cite challenges in manager leadership, organizational connection, and the maintenance of a cohesive culture .

To bridge this gap, the CIPD Profession Map offers a robust framework. It sets the international benchmark for the people profession, defining the purpose, values, knowledge, and behaviors required to champion better work and working lives. The Map is designed to be “future-fit,” providing the tools necessary to manage work in a world that is increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA). By aligning hybrid and flexible strategies with this framework, organizations can ensure that their policies are not merely reactive but are evidence-based, ethical, and strategically aligned with business goals.

The Legal Context: The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023

A critical driver of the current flexible working landscape in the UK is the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023, which came into full effect in 2024. This legislation fundamentally changed the “right to request” flexible working, making it a “day one” right for all employees.

Key changes introduced by the Act include:

Day One Right: Employees no longer need 26 weeks of service to make a request.

Two Requests per Year: Employees can make two formal requests in any 12-month period.

Consultation Requirement: Employers must consult with the employee before rejecting a request.

Reduced Response Time: Employers must respond within two months (down from three).

No Requirement to Explain Impact: Employees no longer have to explain what effect their requested change might have on the employer.

For people professionals, knowledge of this legal framework is the baseline. However, the CIPD framework encourages practitioners to go beyond “compliance” to “commitment,” using these legal shifts as a catalyst for broader cultural change.

The CIPD Profession Map: A Strategic Compass

The Profession Map is structured around three core components: Purpose and Values, Core Knowledge, and Core Behaviors. In the context of hybrid work, this framework ensures that people professionals focus not just on the “where” and “when” of work, but on the “how” and “why.”

Purpose and Values

At the heart of the map is the purpose: championing better work and working lives. Flexible working is a primary vehicle for achieving this. It supports social mobility, inclusion, and wellbeing. When people professionals approach hybrid work through this lens, they move beyond administrative policy-making toward creating value for people, organizations, and society.

Framework Component	Application to Hybrid/Flexible Work
Core Knowledge	The technical expertise required to design and implement flexible systems.
Core Behaviors	The ways of thinking and acting that ensure flexibility is managed fairly and effectively.
Specialist Knowledge	Deep dives into areas like Employee Experience and Reward to tailor the flexible journey.

Core Knowledge: The ‘What’ of Hybrid Success

The CIPD identifies six core knowledge areas that underpin the profession. Each plays a critical role in supporting hybrid and flexible models.

1. People Practice

This area covers the technical aspects of HR. In a hybrid world, this means:

Recruitment and Attraction: 61% of employers recognize that offering flexibility is vital for attracting talent in a tight labor market . People professionals must know how to market “flexibility” authentically.

Policy Design: Creating frameworks that allow for “informal” flexibility while maintaining the structure of “formal” arrangements.

Performance Management: Shifting from monitoring “hours worked” to “outcomes achieved.”

2. Culture and Behaviour

Culture is the “glue” that holds a remote or hybrid workforce together. Understanding culture and behavior allows HR to:

Foster Trust: Hybrid work fails without trust. HR must move managers away from “command and control” styles.

Address Proximity Bias: This is the tendency for managers to favor employees they see more often. Knowledge of behavioral science helps HR design interventions to mitigate this bias.

Maintain Social Capital: Designing “intentional” office days where the focus is on networking, mentoring, and social connection rather than solo work.

3. Business Acumen

To gain buy-in for flexible work, people professionals must speak the language of the business. This involves:

Understanding the ROI: Linking flexibility to reduced turnover, lower absenteeism, and smaller real estate footprints.
Strategic Alignment: Ensuring that flexible models support the organization’s long-term goals, such as digital transformation or sustainability.

4. Evidence-Based Practice

The CIPD emphasizes making decisions based on data, not just intuition. In hybrid work, this means:

People Analytics: Using data to track whether hybrid workers are getting the same promotion opportunities as office workers.

Employee Voice: Using surveys and focus groups to understand the lived experience of flexible work.

Measuring Productivity: 41% of employers believe hybrid work has increased productivity, but 16% believe it has decreased it . HR needs the skills to measure this accurately.

5. Technology and People

Technology is the enabler of hybrid work. HR’s role is to ensure that technology serves people, not the other way around:

Digital Inclusion: Ensuring that all employees have the hardware and connectivity needed to work effectively.

Digital Wellbeing: Addressing the “always-on” culture. 2025 data suggests that digital burnout is a rising concern as the boundaries between home and work blur.

6. Change

Hybrid work is a continuous change project. People professionals must:

Manage the Transition: Supporting employees and managers as they move through different phases of hybrid maturity.

Agility: Being prepared to “pivot” policies as the external environment or business needs change.

Core Behaviors: The ‘How’ of Effective Management

Knowledge alone is insufficient; the way people professionals act determines the success of flexible work. The CIPD’s core behaviors provide the ethical and professional grounding for this.

1. Ethical Practice

Fairness is the cornerstone of flexible work. 40% of employers report that access to flexibility is not equal across their workforce . Ethical practice requires people professionals to:

Challenge Inequity: If a policy only benefits “white-collar” workers, HR must find ways to offer “flexibility of time” (e.g., self-rostering) to “frontline” workers.

Transparency: Ensuring the criteria for granting flexible requests are clear and applied consistently.

2. Professional Courage and Influence

There is a growing “tug-of-war” between employees wanting more flexibility and leaders demanding a “return to office.” 65% of organizations now mandate a minimum number of office days . People professionals need the courage to:

Challenge the Status Quo: If a “back to office” mandate is hurting retention, HR must present the evidence to senior leadership.

Influence Mindsets: Moving leaders from a “visibility equals productivity” mindset to an “impact” mindset.

3. Valuing People

Putting people at the heart of the business means:

Prioritizing Wellbeing: 80% of employees say flexibility improves their quality of life . HR must protect this by ensuring flexibility doesn’t lead to isolation.

Supporting Diversity: Flexibility is a key enabler for carers, parents, and people with disabilities. Valuing people means tailoring flexibility to support these groups.

4. Working Inclusively

Inclusion in a hybrid world means:

Hybrid-First Meetings: Ensuring that those on screen have the same “presence” as those in the room.

Asynchronous Communication: Moving away from “meetings for everything” to allow those with flexible hours to contribute effectively.

5. Commercial Drive

HR must show that flexibility is good for the bottom line. This involves:

Efficiency: Streamlining processes that are hindered by hybrid working.

Innovation: Using flexibility as a tool to foster a more creative and adaptable workforce.

6. Passion for Learning

The world of work is changing too fast for static policies. HR must:

Stay Curious: Learning from other organizations (e.g., the “4-day week” pilots).

Continuous Improvement: Regularly reviewing and “tweaking” hybrid models based on new research.

7. Insights Focused

Using a range of data sources to understand the “big picture”:

External Trends: Keeping an eye on the labor market and competitor offerings.

Internal Realities: Understanding why some managers are struggling with hybrid teams more than others.

8. Situational Decision-Making

There is no “one size fits all” for hybrid work. This behavior encourages:

Pragmatism: Making decisions based on the specific context of a team or individual.

Flexibility in Flexibility: Recognizing that an employee’s needs might change over time (e.g., during a period of illness or family change).

Addressing the “Leadership Gap” in Hybrid Work

A significant finding in the 2025 CIPD report is that employers feel hybrid work has negatively impacted the “ability of managers to lead teams effectively” . This “leadership gap” is where the CIPD framework is most needed.

Managers who were trained in an office-centric world often struggle with:

Managing by Results: They lack the tools to measure output without seeing the person.

Building Team Cohesion: They find it hard to create a “team feel” when people are rarely together.

Coaching and Mentoring: Traditional “over-the-shoulder” learning is gone.

People professionals must use the L&D Specialist Knowledge area of the Profession Map to:

Upskill Managers: Moving from “supervisors” to “coaches.”

Develop Hybrid Playbooks: Providing practical guides on how to run hybrid team meetings and 1-2-1s.

Foster Peer Support: Creating forums where managers can share their challenges and successes in managing remote teams.

Flexibility and Inclusion: A Double-Edged Sword?

While flexibility is a major driver of inclusion, it can also create new forms of exclusion. The CIPD framework emphasizes Working Inclusively to mitigate these risks:

The “Mummy Track”: There is a risk that women, who are more likely to work flexibly, are sidelined for promotions. HR must use Evidence-Based Practice to monitor promotion rates.

Socio-Economic Barriers: Not everyone has a quiet, dedicated space to work at home. Valuing People means recognizing that for some, the office is a sanctuary and a necessary resource.

Age Inclusion: Younger workers often value the office for social learning, while older workers may value flexibility for work-life balance. A hybrid model must cater to all generations.

Future Trends: Beyond Hybrid

As we look toward 2026, several trends are emerging that will require the continued application of the CIPD framework:

Asynchronous Work: Moving beyond “working from home at the same time” to “working whenever suits the task and the person.”

AI and Flexibility: Using AI to handle routine tasks, freeing up humans for high-value work that can be done more flexibly.

The 4-Day Week: With 45% of employees wanting this, it is likely to become the next major frontier in flexible working .

Building a Resilient Future

The CIPD frameworks do not provide a rigid set of rules; instead, they offer a flexible architecture for a flexible world. By grounding hybrid and flexible work in the Profession Map, people professionals can ensure that their organizations remain competitive, inclusive, and ethical.

The shift to hybrid work is not just a change in where we work, but a change in how we think about work. It requires a move from “control” to “empowerment,” from “visibility” to “value,” and from “standardization” to “personalization.” By applying the core knowledge and behaviors of the Profession Map, we don’t just manage the transition; we lead the way toward a future where work truly works for everyone.