UK employees have the right to part-time or flexi-time from their first day of work.
From April 6, 2024, employees will have increased rights over when and how they work. In addition to requesting part-time or flexible working, you can also request:
- period
- Flextime system
- work sharing
- compressed time
- Adjusting start and end times
The measure will also allow employees to make two flexible working requests in a 12-month period, instead of the current one in a 12-month period. The deadline for employers to respond will also be reduced to two months (from three), and employers will be required to consider all options before denying a request.
It seems to be popular among workers already. New research from Slack reveals that more than half (55%) of employees plan to request new flexible working arrangements when new rules take effect.
Kevin Hollinrake, Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business, said: “Giving employees more say in their working patterns will make them happier and make businesses more productive.” Ta. “Simply put, it’s a no-brainer. Increased flexibility in where, when and how people work is an essential part of our plan.”
However, Slack research found that 57% of managers are concerned about receiving new or additional demands for flexible working. On the other hand, a surprising 72% of companies do not actively share information about the latest regulations with their employees.
>See also: Is flexible working more valuable to employees than a pay rise?
What should small business owners do about the new rules?
Please hurry to prepare. First, understand the requests you may receive and the reasons you can decline them. these are:
- Additional costs that harm your business
- Work cannot be reorganized among other staff
- you can’t hire someone to do the job
- Flexible working styles impact quality and performance
- The business will be unable to meet customer demand
- There is a lack of work to be done within the proposed working hours.
- Companies are planning changes to their workforce
The rest will be about putting in place appropriate policies and measures. This includes specifying what can and cannot be included in job advertisements.
Research by flexible working consultancy Timewise shows that positions are being advertised as flexible, including not only part-time or remote working, but also arrangements such as work sharing and time adjustments that suit the needs of the employee. It was only 3 out of 10 posts.
Only 12% of advertised jobs allowed for part-time work, which is the most sought-after flexible working option. Moreover, the proportion is much smaller for higher-paid positions. Timewise said this has forced many single parents out of the market or “trapped them in jobs below their skill level”.
It’s worth a shout out for the flexibility it can offer. A survey by Currys found that a significant proportion of British people, 43%, said they would not apply for a job if the job description did not explicitly offer flexibility.
Once you hire your employees, the next challenge is onboarding them. Janet Wheeler, MHR’s chief human resources officer, said: “The onboarding period is a critical stage in hiring, and elements such as team integration, performance feedback, job-related training, and understanding the company culture are important for new employees to work from home or on a different time schedule than their co-workers. This can have a significant impact.
“With the introduction of these new rights, businesses need to consider what works for them and how they can continue to create the most productive and attractive environment for their employees in the new era of work. ” she added.
Frank Weishaupt, CEO of Owl Labs, added: “Managers need to empower their teams by giving them control over their work location based on their daily task list. Play an important role in setting hybrid working expectations for junior staff by coaching them on what is better to complete.
“This allows the entire team to benefit from a schedule that works for them, rather than simply forcing employees to return to the office. Organizations taking a task-based approach to RTO obligations will build a happier, more engaged team.”
>See also: Top tips for businesses with flexible working – Here, home-based business owners share tips for thriving in flexible work environments
“Going forward, companies will need to take the time to consider the level of flexibility they want their employees to have, and have the right tools and infrastructure in place to facilitate it,” says Sridhar Iyengar, MD, Zoho Europe. he explains. “This means deploying data-protected collaboration platforms and cloud environments so you can work efficiently from anywhere.”
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Flexible working from day one – What it means for small and medium-sized businesses – The Government is leading a consultation to give everyone the right to request flexible working from day one.