In 2020, COVID-19 triggered rapid growth in the use of flexible work arrangements (FWA) in universities. While the impacts of this shift are still emerging, this article contributes analysis of the ways university staff experienced FWAs prior to the pandemic. In-depth discussions with sixty staff across eight focus groups highlighted substantial inequalities in access to and take-up of FWAs. Staff described different levels of access to flexibility among academic and professional staff. Many felt individualised processes of requesting flexibility deterred the use of FWAs, and meant capacity to utilise flexibility was serendipitous, and dependent on local managers' mindsets. By exploring the inequalities and tensions characterising flexible work in universities prior to the pandemic, the article contributes evidence against which to assess the profound changes in university workplaces associated with COVID-19, and informs discussions of the ways equity and access can be addressed in emerging higher education landscapes.