It's no surprise that the flexible working debate
has resurfaced just as school drop-offs and pickups have
restarted.
Currently, an employee is only permitted to make a formal
flexible working request (FWR) after 26 weeks' service. However
last week we saw the TUC join a campaign calling for FWRs to
be enshrined as a day one right.
The statistics published under the apposite headline
"Everyone deserves the right to work flexibly" make stark
reading for employers. At a time when employee retention is of
utmost importance, almost 3 in 10 workers (28%) say more flexible
hours is one of the main reasons they might look for a new job.
The flexible working campaign
This latest call comes only a few months after flexible working
campaigners supported a private members bill that would make all
jobs "flexible by default" unless there were sound
business reasons to the contrary.
