Workplace flexibility is no longer a luxury; it is a requirement. Recognizing this, the United Kingdom has passed legislation allowing all employees and job seekers to request flexible working hours from the start.
The Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act was given royal approval on July 20, 2023. It was adopted by the House of Lords without incident a week earlier.
According to a government news release, the word “flexible working” encompasses a broad range of activities, ranging from part-time or term-time jobs to flexible hours or changed start and stop times. This includes work location, offering employees the choice of working from home or a nearby workplace.
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Previously, UK workers had to complete 26 weeks (or 6 months) of service before proposing adjustments to their work schedules. With the new law, they can request flexible work from the start.
Employers must also examine two requests from each employee each year, not just one. And the response must arrive within two months, which is one month earlier than before.
Another difference is that companies cannot refuse these requests unless they have a compelling cause to do so. Employees, for their part, are no longer required to justify how the change would effect the company.
Due to a lack of flexible working choices, approximately 2 million UK workers have changed jobs. Inflexible work conditions have forced 12% of the workforce (or 4 million people) to leave their sector.
New job searchers, including new parents, caregivers, and disabled people, can begin working under flexible conditions right away.
According to the government, the measure would provide immediate benefits to around 2.2 million people who are anticipated to enter the labor field.
Measures are being put in place to encourage firms to consider how they can make employment more flexible. Employers stand to benefit from the new rule, given the existing skills shortage and difficulty in retaining talented personnel.
