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Flexible working

ended 03. April 2024

A journalist is looking for comment from an HR expert/manager/director and an employer for a story for People Management magazine looking at what the impact on employers might be when, from this coming Saturday, employees will have the right to request flexible working from day one of their employment.

The journo says they are hearing that many employees are planning on putting requests in from that date - what will the impact on employers be, and what should they bear in mind etc?

If there is an influx of requests - what will this mean for management?

Background info here: https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1856168/new-flexible-working-laws-employers-guide
 

4 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Samuel Mather-Holgate
Independent Financial Adviser at Mather and Murray Financial
Employers, generally, try to treat their workers well and retain their knoweldge within their company. Where working flexibly can be accomodated then it should be, but if it's detremental to the business it will be rejected. Following this new legislation, there won't be many changes to current working patterns as most employers already have these working strcutures optimised.
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Editor
Dariusz Karpowicz
Director at Albion Financial Advice
The shift to flexible working from day one is a sign of the times, but it's not a one-size-fits-all. Indeed, it may favour the most self-driven employees, yet training newcomers remotely can be a tricky business. Moreover, with a surge in remote work, there's a real risk of diluting the company's spirit and ethos. Employers need to balance flexibility with maintaining a cohesive culture.
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Cheney Hamilton
CEO at The Find Your Flex Group
I'm happy to chat with you. Realistically, the impact won't be so great. Most companies who don't already have their ducks in a row from the current law which offers a right to request from 6 months. A 'right to request' doesn't mean a 'right to have' work delivered flexibly.
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Anthea Morris
Finance Director at Better2Know
There are some jobs that can be done flexibly, but increasingly flexibility can make some jobs which cannot be done flexible less attractive. Healthcare and hospitality are examples where it is much harder. If you were having an operation, how would you feel if the surgeon decided to work from home that day, or the Chef at your birthday meal decided to work from Italy for the week. It creates even more barriers into these industries.