Right to request flexible working is to be extended!

Ministers said that extending the right to request flexible working by an extra year would benefit an estimated 300,000 people and help create more flexible, family friendly workplaces. Today, the right to request flexible working is currently available to parents of children aged up to 17. With a consultation due on whether to make the right to request a universal benefit, Employment Relations Minister Ed Davey hinted that there is much more to come in this area of coalition policy.

This immediate change will give parents of all children, regardless of their age, the same right to request flexible working,” said Davey. “It will also make it simpler for employers and employees to identify whether they are eligible to make a request.

There is much evidence to suggest that introducing flexible working, managing and reporting on it accurately can be a highly effective way of responding to the pressures of modern business and the benefits of flexible working far outweigh the negatives. As a way of reducing employee stress, enabling employees to become more motivated, productive and happier in their workplace. Flexible working can provide a genuine competitive advantage to any business. Many people consider this availability as a key to their decision making when choosing an employer.

By offering flexible working makes an employer a more attractive proposition to a wider range of candidates in the labour pool, for example part time worker or mothers who may wish to continue their careers but not with the same intensity as they did in their earlier work life .

The law gives eligible employees, the right to put in a request to their employer for a more flexible working pattern, with the employer having to give a “clear business reason” for turning down any such request.

The CIPD has supported extending the right of request to all employees, a position shared by the TUC. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “Extending the right to request and improving parental leave arrangements will help make Britain a more family-friendly place to work.”

If staff are happier as a result of flexible working then so too, largely are businesses. Traditionally flexible workers tend to outperform their traditional full time colleagues in terms of productivity. Flexible working gives a positive impact on recruitment, staff retention and reduced absenteeism which allows companies to plan more effectively and adapt to an ever changing market conditions.

For your free guide “Utilising human capitol information for improved resource management and profitability” please request your copy here or call us on 0845 302 4848 to talk to one of our consultants who will be happy to go through this in more detail.