Aussie reveals why companies saying they offer flexible working hours is a ‘red flag’

At first glance, a company saying they offer flexible working hours seems like a positive, but one Aussie says there is a big reason it’s actually a “red flag”.

If you are browsing job listings in 2024, it is more than likely you will see the term ‘flexible working options’ pop up more than once.

In our post-Covid world, many workers, particularly young Australians, are placing a higher value on work-life balance, with hybrid and remote opportunities being one of the main ways they are achieving this goal.

As a result, it is not uncommon for businesses to tout their flexible work options when looking for new hires.

But, while it may seem like a positive inclusion, one worker has warned it could actually be a “red flag” for job hunters.

Originally from Queensland, Cassie used to work a typical 9-to-5 job but, since quitting and moving into a role that offers her real work-life balance, she has realised that what employers claim is flexibility, is actually quite the opposite.

The 31-year-old now works completely remotely as a virtual assistant, a move that has allowed her to travel the world while still earning an income.

She recently ran into a fellow remote worker at a cafe and struck up a conversation about how grim they find the 9-to-5 office culture.

Recounting the conversation on TikTok, Cassie said the other women brought up her experience with businesses saying they offer flexible hours but they really mean workers have a choice to start between 8am and 9am and “that’s it”.

“It just got me thinking about how out of touch these Boomer bosses are. They are just so against you working from your laptop,” she said in the video.

“We live in such a digital world and it is so easy to be able to work from anywhere but they are just so against it.”

Cassie recalled when she quit her office job her boss asked her to stick around for a bit longer to help out the team.

Cassie has been able to travel as a result of her remote job. Picture: Supplied

The 31-year-old says she will never go back to working a 9am to 5pm office job. Picture: Supplied

She told him she was moving so had a set date for when she could be in the office, but offered to continue working remotely for a short period to help out, to which she was told, “Oh no, the business doesn’t allow that”.

“And I thought, well OK, the answer is no then. You are the one that needs my help. I am not going to change my plans and stick around here longer to come into the office. If you’re not going to give me the flexibility to be able to work from my laptop then bye,” she said.

Speaking to news.com.au, Cassie said the “final straw” that pushed her to finally quit her office job was learning that some of her new and less experienced colleagues were being paid more than her.

In her old job, she would often complete her weekly responsibilities by midweek and would then ask for extra work.

“I started to question why I still had to be there when I’d finished my work, why I wasn’t getting properly compensated and was this it for the rest of my working life?” she said.

Cassie says she is a hard worker and, with her new role, she is able to reward herself for her efficiency. Picture: Supplied

Cassie approached her boss for a pay rise and was promptly told that her “generation expects too much”.

It was only when it became apparent that she was unhappy in her role that she was offered more money, but by then she said it was too late.

Having spent most of this year working from her laptop in Thailand, 31-year-old now says she will never go back to working a regular 9-to-5 job.

This year alone she has been able to visit Singapore, Japan, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia.

“I’m still a really hard worker but now I reward myself for my efficiency,” she said.

“Depending on where I’m travelling and what I have going on, I either smash out some work in the mornings or evenings so I can get outside and enjoy the best part of the day.”

For Cassie, employers that place restrictions on where you can work is a “big red flag”.

“Why should you be chained to the office desk? Covid proved we can work remotely. If you’re getting your work done, why can’t you be wherever you want?” she said.

She also said workers should be paid for “getting a job done, not for how long it took them to do it”.

Another major perk of Cassie’s new role is being able to choose the clients that she works with, noting she now works with inspiring professionals who make her job enjoyable.

“I really love what I do. All of this has prompted me to coach others on how to become a successful virtual assistant too. It really is the most perfect, balanced lifestyle,” she said.