It’s fair to say that the introduction of flexible working due to the Pandemic has been a major positive for many employees and businesses.
Employees can fit more into their days without having to ask for permission to leave the office and don’t feel as though they are constantly being watched making sure they are working until 5 on the dot. Employers are finding that productivity can remain the same and even improve as staff are feeling more content when they are working.
It looks as though flexible working is here to stay and everyone at apple hr support is happy to hear it and support businesses to explore whether it will work for them.
Although, over the recent months there has been much discussion surrounding flexible working and the rights and regulations which come with it.
Let’s delve into the current situation and how things may change over the coming months and years where the 5 days a week in the office structure could be a thing of the past.
Current Rights
All employees have the legal right to request flexible working – not just parents and carers. Employees have this right once they have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks.
The basic steps when applying for flexible working are to first write to your employer requesting that your arrangement be considered. The employer evaluates the request and decides within 3 months. If the arrangement is agreed upon, employers must update the terms and conditions in the employee’s contract. If the request is rejected, the employer must write to the employee and explain why this has been denied.
The employer can reject the request for one of the following reasons:
- extra costs that will damage the business
- the work cannot be reorganised among other staff
- people cannot be recruited to do the work
- flexible working will affect quality and performance
- the business will not be able to meet customer demand
- there’s a lack of work to do during the proposed working times
- the business is planning changes to the workforce
There is no statutory right to appeal for employees but some employers do choose to offer this to demonstrate they are handling requests reasonably. An employee can only make 1 request for flexible working per year.
So what do people want to be changed about this?
Suggested Changes
Employees will be given the right to request flexible working arrangements from the first day of their employment. The government say this will give 2.2 million more people access to different working arrangements.
These changes will also reduce the list of reasons employers can give to reject a flexible working request as well as introducing the requirement for employers to offer alternative arrangements if the employees initial requests are not suitable for the business. Although, it is still legal for employers to reject a request if they have a sound business reason.
Why have these changes come about?
The government have detailed that these changes will fulfil the 2019 manifesto promise to make flexible working the default option for workers.
They want to stress that flexible working mean much more than just working from home. It covers arrangements such as part-time, flexi-time, compressed hours, job shares etc…
They have also said that HR and people professionals will have a vital role to play in helping employers to develop the company culture and policies which support a more flexible way of working and their business as a whole.
Yes, flexible working from day 1 does sound like it would be a great addition for many. However, employers will need to do a lot of work providing guidance for managers and new employees, thinking about how they will manage requests and trial periods before this can come into play permanently. Watch this space we’ll keep you updated as the proposals are considered.
Do you have a flexible working request-response strategy in your organisation? Would you like some help and guidance in creating or updating yours? Do you want to feel prepared if these changes do come into effect but have no clue where to start?
Send us an email at info@applehr.co.uk and we will do our best to help in any way we can.