Proposed changes to employee rights, to legalise flexible working requests on the first day of a new job, must work for businesses and employees alike.
As an SME human resources outsourcing expert, we broadly welcome a Government move to speed up the process of giving employees more flexibility around working hours and location.
From a company, which provides support to more than 6,500 SMEs around the UK, we believe the arrangement needs to work for businesses too.
Arrangements such as job sharing, compacted hours, annualised hours or phased retirement may suit both male and female employees but may not be in the best interests of the business.
It is suggested that smaller businesses in particular may struggle to absorb resulting costs of communications, contractual and policy changes. And it also raised concerns over productivity, retention and recruitment, which can disproportionately affect smaller businesses when compared to their larger competitors.
Under the proposals, which were put out to consultation on Thursday, employees would no longer have to wait for six months before submitting requests for flexible working.
In turn, employers would have to respond to requests more quickly than the current maximum of three months, and offer reasonable justification for refusing any requests.
The consultation is part of the Government’s Good Work Plan programme, under which The HR Dept has represented the views of UK SMEs since it was set up in 2018.
As, director The HR Dept Wimbledon & New Malden, urged the Government to consider the implications for SMEs, which employ 60 per cent of the UK’s private sector staff.
My concern is the impact any new rules will have on the smaller businesses we represent in the Wimbledon & New Malden area.
