The UK’s flexible work plan looks like a failure

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Despite all The difficulties it causes, the pandemic also provides a lifetime opportunity. By demonstrating that people can work responsibly at home—and often more efficiently—and show how caring for their loved ones coexists with our work, instead of going against our work, it feels impossible to go back to the old days. Or at least We will not be forced to return to the office full-time. There may be a better way of working. But as time passed, and British politicians called for “get off“The call to return to the office is getting louder and louder, and any hope of a flexible work revolution in the UK has been dashed.

The latest package of bitter medicine to be swallowed is government negotiation, making flexible work the “default”. Initiated by the British Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in late September, it invites organizations to submit opinions on whether and how to strengthen the UK’s flexible working rights. This happened because the Conservative Party promised to “encourage flexible work” within it. 2019 election declaration. Commercial Secretary Quasi Quatten Said that the proposal would give workers the power to “have more say in the place and time of work.”

Currently, after serving the employer for 26 weeks, every employee in the UK has the right to make a flexible work request once a year. Once a request is made, if it is rejected, the employee must wait one year before submitting a new request.This consult The aim is to change it to a request right from the first day, enable multiple requests every year, and shorten the deadline for responses. Currently, employers must respond within three months of receiving the request.

The consultation also proposed to reassess the justification for rejecting the request and require employers to propose alternatives if they cannot meet the flexible working requirements. All of these, if the government accepts them at the same time, may promote extensive reforms in our working methods. But if, as predicted, only a new law is actually introduced—consolidating the right of direct claim—the consultation is as useful as a chocolate fire board.

In addition to proposing legislative reforms, the government’s flexible working group (an advisory coalition of business groups, unions, charities, and government departments) has been advising on practical and legal issues, including health and safety, remote work, equality and equity, and Performance management. The three-month window for companies and organizations to submit evidence was closed on December 1, and the results may be announced in the first half of 2022.

“We have seen that this promise of’flexible work by default’ is pure rhetoric. It has no substance,” said CEO and founder Joeli Brearley. Pregnant then screw“The government will transfer the right to work flexibly to the first day of employment, because this is the simplest thing they can do, and it seems that they have fulfilled their declaration promise.” Although employees and employers have submitted a lot of contributions And evidence, but this is the only legal amendment we can expect.Just like Alice Arkwright, British Digital Project Officer Union congress (TUC) pointed out that even so, this is just “fixing on the edge of ineffective legislation.”In fact, the claim model was introduced for parents and caregivers Year 2003, And in the following twenty years, it incited meager changes. year 2013, 74% of employees There is no flexible work, and in 2020 this proportion is 70%.

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