Labour has today unveiled its plans to make flexible working “a
force for good” for all workers as part of their plans to deliver
a new deal for working people that makes Britain the best place
to work.
Stating that “flexible working is not just about working from
home”, Labour’s Deputy Leader and Shadow Secretary of State for
the Future of Work will announce Labour’s plan to “fundamentally change
working practices for the better” and improve the lives of
working people by enabling all workers to enjoy the benefits of
flexible working post-Covid through genuine flexibility for
workers and strengthened rights at work.
Labour is demanding the right to flexible working – including
flexible hours, compressed hours, staggered hours and flexibility
around childcare and caring responsibilities so that “work fits
around people’s lives instead of dictating their lives”. Labour
is also calling for the end of “one-sided flexibility” so all
workers have secure employment and regular and predictable
working so workers can plan their lives around a stable job and
income.
Labour is calling for:
- The right to flexible working for all workers as a default
from day one of employment and an accompanying duty on employers
to accommodate this where there is no reason a job cannot be done
flexible and remotely
- The right to flexible working to include: flexible hours
(‘flexi-time’), compressed hours, staggered hours, annualised
hours, and flexibility around school runs and other family and
caring responsibilities, including childcare during school
holidays
- Ending one-sided flexibility so all workers have stable,
secure employment and mutually-agreed predictable working hours
and shift patterns so they can plan their lives
- The ‘right to switch off’ and disconnect from work at home
outside of working hours
- Greater access to workplaces, including to home workers, for
trade unions to ensure fair flexibility for all is delivered
through a collective voice for all staff, including those who are
working flexibly or remotely
Labour says that flexible working is crucial to achieving gender
equality in the workplace and the economy. The right to flexible
working will stop women losing out at work or even dropping out
of the workplace altogether, and help to end the outdated and
sexist assumptions about Dads being at work in the office and
Mums looking after the kids and doing the housework at home.
Research shows that two thirds of working Mums cannot access
childcare this summer and only 1 in 30 eligible fathers took
shared parental leave.
The government has broken its manifesto commitment to make
flexible working the default position, dropped the promised
Employment Bill and has indefinitely delayed its consultation on
flexible working.
Labour’s Deputy Leader and Shadow Secretary of State for
the Future of Work said:
“Flexible working is not just about working from home, it is
about a fundamental change to working practices to improve the
lives of all working people. Flexible working means work fitting
around people’s lives, not dictating their lives.
“Labour will make flexible working a force for good so that
everyone is able to enjoy the benefits of flexible working, from
a better work-life balance to less time commuting and more time
with their family.
“The ‘new normal’ after this pandemic must mean a new deal for
all working people based on flexibility, security and
strengthened rights at work.
“The right to flexible working will change our economy and the
world of work for the better, stop women losing out at work or
even dropping out of the workforce altogether, end the sexist
assumption of Dad being at work in the office and Mum looking
after the kids at home and improve the lives of millions of
workers.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
- The TUC found that 82% of workers want to work flexibly in
the future (87% for women workers), whereas the most popular form
of flexible working, flexi-time, is unavailable to over half of
the UK workforce, 30% of flexible working requests are turned
down because employers have an “almost unfettered ability to do
so” given that workers do not have a statutory right to work
flexibly and only 15% of job adverts offer flexible working. The
UK ranked 24th out of 25 countries on how often job
demands interfere with family life. The right to request flexible
working is also clearly insufficient and will not bring about the
changes needed, with the % of employees doing no form of flexible
working only changing from 74% to 70% between 2013 and 2020.
https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-07/Flexibleworkingreport3.pdf
- The government acknowledged that the current legislative
framework on flexible working and workers’ rights is inadequate,
committing in the 2019 Conservative manifesto to make flexible
working the default and committing to an Employment Rights Bill
which has been scrapped.
- Since 2013, the % of employees on zero hours contracts has
increased by 48%, compared to a 13% increase in the % of
employees on flexi-time: (TUC analysis of the Labour Force
Survey)
https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/2021-07/Flexibleworkingreport3.pdf
- Under Labour’s demands, flexible working policy, arrangements
and support for staff working from home should be agreed by trade
unions in negotiation with employers
- Under Labour’s plans, “one-sided flexibility” would be ended
by giving workers the right to a regular contract that reflects
their usual hours, requiring proper notice for changes in hours
and pay for shifts cancelled at short notice so all workers have
the security and predictability they need to plan their lives and
improve work-life balance.
- In addition to this, ending zero-hours contracts and bogus
self-employment and creating a single status of ‘worker’ for all
but the genuinely self-employed will provide insecure and gig
economy workers with security, rights and protections from day
one on the job including Statutory Sick Pay, National Minimum
Wage, holiday pay, paid parental leave and protection against
unfair dismissal.
- Last month the Prime Minister’s spokesperson said: “We’ve
asked people to work from home where they can during the
pandemic, but there are no plans to make this permanent or
introduce a legal right to work from home… It is important to
stress that there are no plans to make working from home the
default, or introduce a legal right to work from home.”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/jun/17/uk-covid-live-news-coronavirus-delta-variant-hancock-johnson?page=with:block-60cb35498f08d3594f2ed23e#block-60cb35498f08d3594f2ed23e
- Two-thirds of working mothers lack childcare during these
summer holidays, and before Covid only 3.6% of eligible fathers
took shared parental leave.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/jul/15/two-thirds-of-working-mothers-lack-summer-childcare-uk-survey
https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2021-02-01/146798
