Flexible Working Rights For All

Flexible Working Rights For All.

Today marks the day that all employees that have been employed for more than 6 months have the right to request their employer allow them to have flexible working hours.

Until today, only carers and parents had the right to request flexible hours to reflect their increased need given family commitments.

The move announced by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills was backed by both unions and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg. All claim that flexible working rights reflect the changing needs of both businesses and staff and promotes greater loyalty and productivity.

The right to ask for flexible working is not legally binding on the employer, employers are required to consider all reasonable requests for flexible working. There must be a legitimate and valid business reason for any employer rejecting an employee’s request.

Comment – An employer’s view

Flexible working is a balancing act. We all wish to work when we choose, but our customers whether it is service or product driven, want access to the “product”.

It is all well and good you having flexible working, but when you are not at work and want to go shopping, what happens if the shop that you wish to use is closed because they too have flexible working patterns?

Many people forget that it is the employer that carries all the risks: Work, pay, holidays, sickness, redundancy, flexibility, health and safety, pensions, employers national insurance.

That said, at this website, i.e. our firm Roberts Clark, we do offer staff flexible working and indeed 2/3rds of staff have children and either work part time or start work at 9.15am and finish at 2.45pm ready for the “school run” and are allowed to work remotely. There is only so much we can do though, clients still call at 5pm and weekends, investment and pension companies are usually closed after 5pm meaning that our staff cannot work as effectively after 5pm.