By Nikki Slowey, co-founder and director of Flexibility Works
It was widely reported last week that workers will get a ‘right’ to a 4 day compressed working week under Labour’s plans to make flexible working the ‘default’. But it’s not true. It’s one of several rumours flying round while we wait for the detail of Labour’s plans to improve workers’ rights.
Labour has flat-denied it intends to give workers a right to a compressed 4 day week, and with good reason because it clearly wouldn’t work as a blanket approach for all workers and organisations. But there are still plenty of news articles with misleading headlines stating it as fact.
Other stories suggest Labour will ‘force’ employers to accept flexible working requests to the detriment of the organisation.
Getting the facts straight
But Labour’s manifesto says explicitly that employers WON’T have to accept requests where it’s ‘not reasonably feasible’. There’s a lot of room in that phrase. And this is pretty similar to the system we ALREADY HAVE, where employers have a legal duty to consider requests but can refuse them if there’s a good business reason.
Clearly a plumber can’t work from home all the time, and a teacher has to be at school at set times. Not every flexible working request will be suitable, and employers can – and should – be able to refuse them if they really won’t work. But we’d argue some form of flex is possible in almost every role, and that some employers could be much more open-minded and look for what IS possible and find compromises, rather than simply dismissing requests outright.
Benefits of flex
The reason greater flex is being pushed is because all the evidence shows successful flexible working benefits workers AND employers. Our own research shows seven in ten Scottish employers think flex is good for their organisation, and that workers with flexibility were consistently more positive than workers without flex when asked about their enthusiasm for their job, their ability to focus, their sense of value and wellbeing.
Our research backs up renowned UK and international studies, such as work by Stanford University economics professor Nicholas Bloom, who found home working allowed for ‘quiet work’ and savings in commuting time, that resulted in a 3% to 5% improvement in productivity. While a Future Forum survey of more than 10,000 desk workers found those with rigid work schedules were 2.5 times more likely to look for a new job than colleagues with greater flex. Flexible working isn’t perfect everywhere. But the research suggests it’s well worth the effort. It shows there’s a better way to do business – that’s kinder and more supportive to workers AND delivers on the bottom line.
Opportunity to improve
There are plenty of very successful business leaders who don’t think the Government should interfere with how they run their business. But the reality is that, for many employers, ‘default flex’ won’t feel very different (or any different) to what we have now. But there is an opportunity to create more flexible working that delivers benefits for people, employers and our economy at large by applying enough external pressure to the small but significant cohort of employers that just don’t want to change.
And for those organisations that aren’t exactly ‘opposed’ to flex but have been sat on the fence, watching to see which way the majority are going, Labour’s plans are another clear sign the future really is flexible. It should be a clarion call to get on board with flex and ensure organisations don’t start lagging behind competitors.
If your organisation needs a helping hand to keep you on track with the new flexible working requirements, check out our consultancy page for details of our Flex Essentials, Flex Boost and Go Flex packages. Or contact us for a no-pressure chat.
