UK set to mandate proper to request versatile work from first day on the job
The UK authorities has laws within the works that may formalize versatile working, growing the variety of remote-work requests employees are entitled to and shortening the time employers have to reply.
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The UK authorities is backing proposed laws that will give employees the suitable to request versatile working preparations from day one in all their employment.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which noticed hundreds of thousands of employees begin working from house as lockdown orders have been enforced, most staff continued to have flexibility over how and after they work, with many organizations now practising a hybrid work mannequin.
In 2021, the UK skilled an acceleration within the adoption of versatile working, based on analysis from software program firm Unit4. However, a survey printed by Trades Union Congress (TUC) in October 2021 discovered that half of the 13,000 working moms who have been surveyed stated their boss had rejected their versatile working request, or solely accepted a part of it. Furthermore, 86% of respondents who have been already working flexibly stated they’ve confronted discrimination and downsides at work consequently.
Currently, staff within the UK are solely allowed one request for versatile work preparations per yr, whereas the brand new invoice permits for 2 requests per yr. Additionally, the brand new laws would require employers to seek the advice of with staff earlier than being allowed to refuse a versatile working utility. They would even be required to debate different choices earlier than rejecting a request, whereas the deadline to answer the versatile working functions will probably be decreased to 2 months, as a substitute of three.
These modifications will probably be notably helpful for workers, stated Tracey Hudson, government director at consultancy HRDept, including that bringing ahead the draft laws now, throughout a cost-of-living disaster, will probably be appreciated by lots of people who’re making an attempt to stability childcare and different caring obligations with juggling a brand new job.
“As it stands, all employees have the right to request flexible working, but they need to have worked for their employer for 26 weeks first, so those in new jobs will welcome such a right to help balance their bank balances and caring responsibilities,” she stated.
Hudson added that even when versatile working shouldn’t be one thing that an worker must depend on instantly, simply the data that it’s doable to use for versatile working from day one will convey consolation.
According to the respondents of the Unit4 survey, there’s a concern that if firms don’t get their method to versatile working proper, employees will depart. In the final 12 months, 39% of surveyed organizations had seen folks give up for extra flexibility elsewhere.
Broad help for versatile working
The proposed versatile working guidelines are a part of the broad “Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Bill,” which is at the moment making its manner via Parliament. The proposed laws has broad cross-party help and is predicted to be handed into legislation, although there isn’t a timetable for remaining voting.
In a word accompanying its announcement of help for the invoice, the federal government stated, “Flexible working doesn’t simply imply a mixture of working from house and within the workplace – it may possibly imply staff making use of job-sharing, flexitime, and dealing compressed, annualized, or staggered hours.”
HRDept’s Hudson stated the will for a four-day week is robust. Therefore, having the ability to request versatile working is excessive on job seekers’ listing of priorities. There is a big candidate scarcity within the UK job market so employers who supply versatile working as a default or those who’re proactively contemplating methods to enhance the work-life stability of their groups will appeal to job candidates in a troublesome market, she stated.
Although employers will now want to start out amending their versatile working insurance policies and updating their procedures to make sure they’re compliant with the brand new laws, Hudson stated it’s unlikely that there’ll abruptly be an enormous inflow of requests when these modifications come into pressure.
“In small businesses, requests to work flexibly are often handled informally because the working relationships are closer, and SMEs [small and medium-size businesses] are brilliant at being agile in emergencies,” she stated. “Employers are so focused on retaining their good staff, particularly as it’s so difficult to recruit, so in my experience they will be as accommodating as possible with their employees regardless of whether or not the government dictates that they do so.”