2024 State and Local Workforce Survey Finds Flex Work is Here to Stay

It’s been nearly five years since COVID-19’s arrival forced employers everywhere to embrace more flexible work models.

The 2024 State and Local Workforce Survey seems to confirm that flexible work options are here to stay in the public sector.

Since 2009, PSHRA^® has partnered with MissionSquare Research Institute and the National Association of State Personnel Executives (NASPE) to conduct an annual survey focusing on the recruitment, retention, compensation, organizational culture and priorities, along with related data from prior surveys in the series.

This year’s report analyzes data gathered from a survey of 300 state and local government HR professionals. Conducted from March 8 through April 25, 2024, the online poll found 59% of public sector employers saying their agency currently offers regular hybrid scheduling for eligible positions.

Another 58% said their organization offers flexible scheduling options, in the form of four 10-hour days per week, for example. Forty-eight percent reported allowing eligible employees to work flexible hours, to, say, avoid heavy traffic during their commute, or to take care of important errands or personal appointments.

This year’s survey also saw a number of government agencies experimenting with shorter workweeks. For example, 17% of this year’s respondents said their staff—outside of safety or on-call roles—are working fewer than 40 hours a week.

Gerald Young, senior researcher at MissionSquare Research Institute, noted that the 2024 poll was the first to ask about work weeks shorter than 40 hours.

“It remains to be seen whether this will become a trend or will remain more limited,” he said. “Looking ahead, further data collection will help shed light on what impacts such changes have had on recruitment, retention and productivity.”

What’s clearer, he said, is that public sector employers will generally continue to provide employees with some type of options in terms of where and when they work.

“Even before the pandemic, public agencies often provided flexibility in work hours, such as four 10-hour shift schedules or staggered start times to avoid rush hour commutes or facilitate personal errands,” said Young. “Individual governments will continue to decide what approaches work best for them, but it is unlikely any of these staffing models will disappear entirely, particularly since flexibility and work/life balance are among the ways to appeal to job candidates.”