Bosses embracing flexible working rights
April 14th, 2005
Britain’s bosses are embracing the rules allowing parents to request flexible working, with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) research showing 81 per cent of all requests are granted.
Figures also show the number of requests being declined has almost halved since legislation was introduced in 2003, falling from 20 per cent to 11 per cent in 2005.
The regulations allow parents with children under the age of six, or a disabled child under the age of 18, to request flexible working. This could include going part-time, working from home or changing their hours.
Under the law, employers have to “seriously consider” requests, but may refuse if there is a clear business case for doing so.
While the DTI figures suggest a positive response from employers, consultants working with businesses on flexible-working practices were surprised by the findings.
Anna Kavanagh, founder of Time4balance, said she was “astonished” by the figures because most businesses she spoke to were not aware of the legislation.
She added, however, that small firms were usually better at accommodating flexible working requests because they couldn’t compete with large businesses on salaries, and needed benefits such as an improved work-life balance to attract staff.
“I tell businesses, ‘this is not a problem that will go away, the desire to work flexibly is not a fad — it is a trend that will grow and grow’.”
Carol Savage, managing director of Flexecutive, pointed out that many firms implement flexible working schemes because of the business benefits, rather than because of the legal requirements.
Savage encourages businesses to implement flexible working across the board, instead of limiting it to the scope of the legislation.
“Firms risk a huge backlash from other staff otherwise,” she warned. “I think who is allowed to work flexibly should be decided on their role in the team and the business’ needs.”
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This news item has been provided by Business Link Northamptonshire, for more of the latest Northamptonshire Business News visit: http://news.businesslinknorthants.org
