Staff have lengthy been craving for extra flexibility within the office. For a lot of, it’s such a excessive precedence that the shortage of flexibility has turn out to be a deal-breaker.
However issues would possibly begin to look totally different now.
In components of the U.Ok., new measures that took impact final weekend enable staff to decide on flexibility at work from day one.
Staff in England, Scotland and Wales now have the correct to request versatile work from the day they begin a brand new job, as an alternative of ready 26 weeks as per earlier laws.
Versatile work covers a variety of office preparations—whether or not that’s part-time, distant or compressed work—and will differ from worker to worker.
The brand new regulation isn’t a considerable change from what was already in place, however it’ll assist normalize conversations round versatile working and make it extra easy for workers to ask for it proper off the bat. The aim of those measures, after they had been first accepted final yr, is to create a “happier workforce” which might assist Britain enhance productiveness, enterprise and commerce minister Kevin Hollinrake mentioned.
Whereas flexibility has more and more turn out to be a need within the office, it’s not with out challenges.
Why do individuals within the U.Ok. care about working flexibly?
The onset of the pandemic compelled individuals to regulate to distant work, however breaking out of it has been tougher even with return-to-office mandates. Now, individuals are combating to maintain some semblance of flexibility.
Within the U.Ok., that’s translated into increased turnover as 2 million individuals give up their jobs yearly over the shortage of flexibility, in keeping with a report by the skilled physique Chartered Institute of Personnel and Improvement (CIPD). Flexibility-related perks are what over 50% of the individuals searching for a brand new job are in the hunt for.
Amy Cunningham, founding father of employment regulation agency Cunningham Authorized, informed Fortune that staff worth flexibility due to the productiveness advantages it presents. However there’s extra to it than that.
“The place correctly managed, the advantages to employers are vital. These embody elevated productiveness/efficiency, decreased illness absence and stress, higher worker morale, elevated worker retention, and decreased prices in some instances,” she mentioned.
Given the clarion name amongst staff for flexibility, the potential advantages of the regulation might be big as roughly 2.2 million individuals might now have the choice to request an association that works greatest for them. In the long run, that would translate to higher productiveness within the office—one thing the U.Ok. desperately wants.
On the flip-side, restricted versatile working choices are sometimes extra punitive for some components of the labor power than others, together with girls, older staff and people with disabilities. Nonetheless, the brand new regulation might show useful by permitting individuals to work in a method that most accurately fits them with out impacting productiveness or output.
“There may be good proof that versatile working practices can assist recruit and retain employees, notably these with caring duties, older staff, and people with well being situations,” Ben Willmott, the pinnacle of public coverage at CIPD, informed Fortune.
Regardless of the advantages, employers are apprehensive
Consultants informed Fortune that the regulation might doubtlessly be imposed on employers with out essentially serving to them.
“Clearly, versatile working requests create an administrative burden for employers,” Alex Bearman, accomplice at London-based regulation agency Russell-Cooke, who makes a speciality of employment regulation, informed Fortune. He gave the instance of logistical challenges if a number of workforce members select to restrict their work hours. In additional excessive instances, employers might be slapped with discrimination complaints for refusing staff who’re new moms or have long-term well being situations from working remotely.
Research have proven that there are downsides to distant work (which is one type of versatile working) reminiscent of proximity bias and disconnect with the workforce throughout onboarding, which employers are conscious of.
“Covid has already shifted the parameters of what ‘regular’ working into extra remote-based and hybrid spheres, however isn’t all the time for the higher (for both employers or staff) and, as has turn out to be obvious, there are substantial downsides to each these kinds of working,” mentioned Andrea London, a accomplice at Winckworth Sherwood.
The brand new measures are a device for workers, however it gained’t strip employers of their say on the office both.
Whereas they’ll have to answer staff’ requests inside two months (and never three, like earlier than), they’re additionally entitled to refuse the request for numerous causes together with a unfavourable impression on the standard of labor or efficiency. Employers additionally want to debate with staff earlier than they refuse a request.
Because the age-old adage goes, it actually is all about steadiness. The advantages of flexibility can’t be ignored, which is why the correct to request it’s now at each worker’s disposal. It might definitely assist the broader British workforce, too.
“Though it appears unlikely {that a} standalone proper to work flexibly shall be launched any time quickly, the federal government does seem to view higher flexibility in how we work as one thing which is more likely to profit the economic system as an entire,” Bearman says.
Cunningham thinks that the brand new regulation isn’t a large stride in direction of adjusting to staff’ wants, however is “a small step in what many would think about to be ‘the correct path.’”
“The hope is that such preparations will turn out to be way more frequent, and that staff gained’t be afraid to ask about versatile working alternatives at a really early stage within the employment relationship,” she mentioned.
