CIPD calls for flexible working to become a day one right 

The campaign calls on organisations and government to make the right to request flexible working a day one right.

Flexible working practices cover a wide variety of different working arrangements – such as homeworking, flexi-time, part-time working, compressed hours and job-shares.

New research from the institute found flexible working practices in Britain aren’t fair. It explained that workers face inequality due to a marked difference in the way employers approach flexible working. Nearly half (46 percent) of employees say they do not have access to flexible working arrangements as part of their current role.

The research, of over 2,000 employees, found that while the pandemic has caused a large increase in homeworking, 44 percent of employees have not worked from home at all since the beginning of the crisis. It also found that those who don’t work flexibly are twice as likely to be dissatisfied with their job and work-life balance.

The CIPD is also calling for a change in UK law, to make flexible working requests a day-one right for all employees, regardless of their sector, geography or level of seniority. Currently British law states that employees can only request to work flexibly after 26 weeks of employment and are limited to one request a year.

Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, said: “Employees may not always be able to change where they work, but they should have more choice and a say in when and how they work.”

He added: “Flexible working will empower people to have greater control and flexibility in their working life. This is good for inclusion and opening up opportunities to people who have other constraints in being able to work standard hour weeks or in getting to a place of work. It is also good for people’s wellbeing and productivity.”

Pledge your support to end flexible working inequality here.