Approach to Flexible Work: Wellbeing, Freedom, and Results

Introduction

The workstyle approach to flexible work challenges one of the oldest assumptions in modern employment: that good work must happen at a fixed place and during fixed hours.

For many people, the working day still follows a pattern created for an earlier age. Employees travel to the same location, begin at roughly the same time, and remain visible for a set number of hours.

However, digital tools have changed what is possible.

Many tasks can now be completed from different places and at different times. Moreover, teams can work across cities, countries, and time zones without sharing one physical office.

In Workstyle: A Revolution for Wellbeing, Productivity and Society, Lizzie Penny and Alex Hirst argue that people should have greater freedom to decide when and where they work.

The authors developed the idea through their experience of building Hoxby, a business designed around individual workstyles, digital collaboration, trust, and output-based performance. Their official book platform describes workstyle as different from standard remote, hybrid, and flexible working because it allows people to design work around their lives rather than simply choose from limited employer-set options.

The idea is not that people should work whenever they feel like it without responsibility.

Instead, workstyle combines personal freedom with clear expectations, shared goals, reliable communication, and trust.

What Is the Workstyle Approach to Flexible Work?

A workstyle is the individual pattern that explains how, when, and where a person works best.

It may include:

The hours during which they are most focused
The location where they perform certain tasks best
The times when they are available for collaboration
Personal responsibilities that shape their schedule
The type and length of breaks they need
The working conditions that support their wellbeing
The methods they use to communicate progress

For example, one person may prefer to begin early, complete focused work before midday, and remain available for meetings during the afternoon.

Meanwhile, another person may need to manage school responsibilities in the morning and complete their best work later in the day.

Both people can still produce high-quality results.

Therefore, the main question changes from:

“Were you at your desk from nine until five?”

to:

“Did you deliver the agreed result at the required standard and time?”

This shift moves attention away from visibility and toward contribution.

Why the Traditional Working Model Needs to Change

The standard working week developed around a world in which most people needed to be physically present to use equipment, communicate, and supervise production.

However, much modern work does not follow those conditions.

A designer, writer, software developer, consultant, analyst, or project manager may be able to complete important work from almost anywhere with a suitable device and internet connection.

Even so, many organisations continue to measure commitment through:

Time spent in the office
Fast replies to messages
Attendance at frequent meetings
Visibility during standard hours
The appearance of constant activity

These measures can be misleading.

A person may be present for eight hours but create little useful value. In contrast, another employee may complete excellent work in a shorter and more focused period.

Workstyle asks organisations to judge performance through outcomes rather than attendance.

Moreover, it asks leaders to consider whether old rules still serve a clear purpose.

The Three Principles of Workstyle

The workstyle model depends on three main principles.

1. Asynchronous Working

Asynchronous work means that colleagues do not always need to work at the same time.

A team member can complete part of a project, record the required information, and hand the work to another person who continues later.

This approach can be especially useful for:

International teams
People with caring responsibilities
Employees with different energy patterns
Workers managing health conditions
Professionals who need long periods of uninterrupted focus

However, asynchronous work requires good communication.

People must record decisions, explain progress, share useful context, and make information easy to find.

Otherwise, flexibility can create confusion.

Therefore, asynchronous work is not simply about avoiding meetings. It requires teams to become more thoughtful about how information is created and shared.

2. Digital-First Collaboration

Digital-first work treats online systems as the main working environment rather than as a backup for people who are outside the office.

Documents, conversations, project updates, decisions, and responsibilities should be available through shared systems.

For instance, teams may use:

Shared project platforms
Cloud documents
Recorded updates
Team messaging systems
Digital calendars
Knowledge libraries
Clear task ownership

A digital-first approach can reduce the information gap between office-based and remote team members.

However, organisations must avoid replacing office interruptions with constant digital interruptions.

More tools do not always create better work.

Instead, teams need clear rules about where information belongs, when a message needs an immediate response, and which discussions require a live conversation.

3. A Trust-Based Environment

Workstyle cannot succeed without trust.

Managers must believe that people will meet their responsibilities even when they are not being watched.

At the same time, employees must show that this trust is deserved.

They need to:

Deliver work on time
Communicate delays early
Respect other people’s workstyles
Remain available for agreed collaboration
Maintain quality
Record progress clearly
Ask for help when needed

Trust does not remove accountability.

In fact, workstyle often requires clearer accountability because people cannot rely on physical presence to show that work is happening.

Therefore, leaders must define outcomes, standards, deadlines, and decision rights with care.

How Workstyle Differs from Remote, Hybrid, and Flexible Work

These terms are often treated as if they mean the same thing. However, they describe different levels of control.

Remote work

Remote work mainly describes location. A person works away from the main office, but they may still follow fixed hours.

Hybrid work

Hybrid work combines office-based and remote days. However, the organisation often decides which days employees must attend.

Flexible work

Flexible work may allow some change in hours or location. Nevertheless, employees often select from options created by the employer.

Workstyle

Workstyle gives individuals much greater freedom to design when and where they work, provided they remain responsible for agreed outputs and team needs.

Therefore, workstyle is not simply another location policy.

It is a different way of thinking about the relationship between people, time, trust, and performance. The official book description specifically presents the model as distinct from remote, flexible, and hybrid arrangements.

Workstyle Can Improve Wellbeing

Poorly designed work can place people in constant conflict between professional and personal responsibilities.

A parent may feel guilty for leaving work to collect a child. Someone managing a health condition may struggle during fixed hours. Another employee may spend several exhausting hours commuting each week.

Workstyle can reduce some of these pressures by allowing people to design work around important parts of life.

For example, greater control may allow someone to:

Attend a medical appointment
Care for a family member
Exercise during daylight
Avoid an exhausting commute
Work during their strongest hours
Take recovery breaks
Continue working during a major life change

This freedom can create a stronger sense of control.

Moreover, employees may no longer need to hide ordinary personal needs or apologise for having responsibilities outside work.

However, freedom alone does not guarantee wellbeing.

A flexible worker can still work excessive hours, check messages late at night, or feel unable to disconnect.

Therefore, a healthy workstyle also needs clear boundaries.

Workstyle Can Improve Productivity

Traditional work often rewards time and visibility.

However, workstyle focuses more strongly on outputs.

This change can improve productivity because people are encouraged to ask:

What result must be delivered?
What does good work look like?
When is the deadline?
Which tasks need collaboration?
Which tasks need quiet focus?
When do I personally perform best?

When expectations are clear, employees can organise their work more effectively.

For example, someone may complete demanding analysis during their strongest mental hours. Afterward, they can schedule routine communication during a lower-energy period.

In addition, asynchronous work can reduce unnecessary meetings and interruptions.

Yet productivity depends on the quality of the system.

When goals are unclear, information is difficult to find, or every message feels urgent, flexibility may create stress rather than better performance.

The Role of Output-Based Performance

A workstyle culture cannot rely on vague instructions such as “do your best” or “stay available.”

Instead, leaders need to define performance through clear outputs.

A useful work brief should explain:

The required result
The quality standard
The deadline
The person responsible
Important stages or review points
Available resources
Limits on authority
How success will be measured

This approach benefits both employees and managers.

Employees gain freedom because they understand what they need to deliver. Meanwhile, managers gain confidence because performance is visible through results.

Therefore, strong workstyle leadership is not less structured.

It is structured around outcomes instead of physical attendance.

Workstyle Can Support Inclusion

One of the strongest arguments for the workstyle approach to flexible work is its potential to include people who may struggle with a fixed office routine.

These may include:

Parents and carers
People with disabilities
Individuals managing long-term health needs
Neurodivergent professionals
People living far from major employment centres
Older workers
Those returning after a career break
Professionals in different countries or time zones

A fixed schedule may exclude talented people even when they are fully capable of performing the work.

In contrast, a well-designed workstyle can allow people to contribute under conditions that better fit their lives and needs.

The authors connect this greater autonomy with their wider goal of creating a world of work with less bias. Hoxby’s official information also presents inclusion and social impact as central parts of its working model.

Workstyle Can Benefit Society

Work does not affect only the employer and employee.

It also shapes families, communities, transport systems, cities, and access to opportunity.

For example, more personalised ways of working may:

Reduce unnecessary commuting
Give families more time together
Support employment outside major cities
Allow more carers to remain in paid work
Expand opportunities for excluded groups
Help people remain employed during health or life changes
Reduce pressure to organise all personal activity outside office hours

Therefore, workstyle can be viewed as more than a productivity policy.

It is also a social idea about who gets access to work and how employment fits into a full human life.

Freedom Must Exist Within a Clear Framework

Workstyle does not mean that every person can ignore customers, deadlines, or colleagues.

Some tasks require people to be present at a particular place and time. For instance, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, retail, hospitality, and field services often involve physical or time-sensitive duties.

Even in digital roles, teams still need shared moments for decisions, relationships, and collaboration.

Therefore, organisations must balance two needs:

Individual freedom

People need control over when and where they complete suitable work.

Shared responsibility

Teams need reliable delivery, coordination, communication, and customer service.

A strong system protects both.

Hoxby later described this balance as “freedom within a framework”: people receive autonomy while the organisation maintains alignment, consistency, and performance.

How to Design Your Personal Workstyle

You can begin by examining how you currently work.

1. Review your natural working pattern

Ask:

When is my attention strongest?
When does my energy usually fall?
Which tasks need quiet?
Which activities benefit from collaboration?
Where do I work best?
How many breaks do I need?

2. Identify your life priorities

Consider the parts of life that work needs to fit around.

These may include:

Family
Health
Exercise
Faith
Study
Community responsibilities
Creative interests
Rest

3. Define your availability

Freedom works best when others understand how to reach you.

Therefore, explain:

When you are available for meetings
How quickly you normally respond
Which channel should be used for urgent matters
When you complete focused work
When you are unavailable

4. Agree on outputs

Clarify the work you are responsible for, how quality will be measured, and when it must be delivered.

5. Set boundaries

Decide when work begins and ends.

Also, protect breaks, holidays, and recovery time.

6. Review and adjust

A workstyle should change as life changes.

For example, a new role, child, health issue, or major project may require a different pattern.

The Workstyle Revolution describes the personal process through setting a workstyle, communicating it to others, and respecting the agreed boundaries.

How Leaders Can Introduce Workstyle

Leaders should not begin by announcing that everyone may work whenever and wherever they choose.

Instead, they should build the conditions that make autonomy safe and useful.

Start with suitable work

Identify which activities can be completed across different times or locations.

Define results

Replace vague expectations with clear outputs, deadlines, and standards.

Improve digital systems

Make information, decisions, and responsibilities easy to access.

Reduce unnecessary live work

Review meetings and decide which discussions can happen asynchronously.

Agree on team rules

Clarify availability, response times, urgent communication, and shared working periods.

Train managers

Managers need to lead through goals, feedback, and trust rather than physical observation.

Test before expanding

Begin with a team or project. Then review productivity, wellbeing, customer results, and coordination problems.

Common Workstyle Mistakes

Treating flexibility as an employee benefit only

Workstyle should support both people and business results.

Allowing constant availability

Flexible work should not mean working at all hours.

Using too many digital tools

Technology should simplify communication, not create another layer of noise.

Leaving expectations unclear

Autonomy without clear outcomes can create frustration and blame.

Ignoring team relationships

Asynchronous work still needs deliberate connection, trust, and shared identity.

Applying one workstyle to everyone

The purpose is personal choice. Therefore, one flexible schedule should not simply replace one fixed schedule.

Who Should Read Workstyle?

The book is particularly relevant for:

Business leaders reviewing how work is organised
HR professionals designing flexible-work policies
Managers leading remote or international teams
Parents and carers seeking a more sustainable career
People with disabilities or health needs
Entrepreneurs building digital-first organisations
Employees who want more control over their working lives
Anyone interested in workplace inclusion and the future of work

Its ideas are useful because they connect personal wellbeing with organisational performance and wider social change.

About Lizzie Penny and Alex Hirst

Lizzie Penny and Alex Hirst are the co-authors of Workstyle and co-founders of Hoxby and the Workstyle Revolution.

They developed the workstyle concept after experiencing the limits of traditional working patterns, including burnout and the challenge of combining work with family responsibilities.

Since then, they have used Hoxby to test workstyle principles in practice and have promoted greater autonomy, inclusion, and output-based working. Their official author page describes them as entrepreneurs and speakers who have spent years developing and promoting the model.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the workstyle approach to flexible work?

It is an approach that gives people greater freedom to decide when and where they work, while holding them responsible for agreed results, quality, and communication.

Is workstyle the same as remote work?

No. Remote work mainly concerns location. Workstyle covers both time and place, as well as personal needs, output measures, communication, and boundaries.

Is workstyle the same as hybrid work?

No. Hybrid work usually divides time between home and an office. Workstyle allows individuals to design a more personal working pattern.

Does workstyle mean employees can work whenever they want?

Not without limits. Employees still need to meet deadlines, support customers, attend essential collaboration, and communicate clearly.

How does asynchronous work support workstyle?

It allows people to contribute at different times. However, teams need good documentation, clear handovers, and shared digital systems.

Can workstyle improve productivity?

It may improve productivity when people work during their strongest hours and are judged by outputs. However, organisations still need clear goals, useful systems, and strong management.

How can workstyle support inclusion?

It can remove fixed time and location barriers that may exclude carers, disabled professionals, people with health needs, and those living far from major workplaces.

Can every job use a workstyle model?

Not every task offers the same freedom. Jobs involving physical service, production, or fixed customer needs may require set hours and locations. However, some flexibility may still be possible within individual roles.

Conclusion

The workstyle approach to flexible work offers a wider vision than simply allowing employees to work from home.

It asks organisations to rethink how they measure contribution, how they build trust, and how work fits into people’s lives.

First, individuals need greater control over time and location.

However, that freedom must be supported by clear outcomes, reliable communication, digital systems, and shared responsibility.

Moreover, leaders must stop treating visibility as proof of value.

When people are trusted to design suitable working patterns, organisations may gain access to wider talent, stronger inclusion, better wellbeing, and more focused performance.

The future of work may not involve one perfect schedule.

Instead, it may involve giving people the freedom and responsibility to create a way of working that allows them to perform well and live well.

Call to Action

Describe your current working pattern by completing this sentence:

“My workstyle is…”

Then answer:

When do I perform my best work?
Which tasks require collaboration?
What parts of life need greater protection?
Where do I work most effectively?
Which boundaries are currently unclear?
What results am I responsible for?
What one change could improve both my wellbeing and performance?

Finally, discuss that change with the people affected by it.

Alex Hirst, asynchronous work, employee autonomy, Lizzie Penny, output-based performance, Workstyle book