British have right to flexible working

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British have right to flexible working

Children's Minister Beverly Hughes says workers should have the right to request more flexible working arrangements.

All British workers have the right to flexible working arrangements, says Children's Minister Beverly Hughes, and many companies are already taking steps to implement such systems.

Flexible employment - such as working from home; part-time, flexi-time or annualised hours; and job sharing - is the best way to ensure balance between work and life, Hughes said.

In a book to mark 10 years of Labour government, Politics for a New Generation, Hughes wrote: "Many working people say they feel time-squeezed. With more women at work, an aging population and many people aspiring to volunteer or to further develop their skills, government and employers need to recognise that balancing work and life is an issue that's not going away. We need a step change."

Currently, some 3.6 million parents with children under the age of six, or disabled children under the age of 18, have the right to request flexible working from their employers. After April, anyone seen to have a "caring responsibility" - such as for an adult family member - will also be granted the right.

But Hughes said that the right should cover all employees. "Extending the right to request flexible working to everyone would be a natural progression and enable all workers - whatever their personal circumstances - to balance home and work better," she said. "Everyone has a life outside work, not just parents. We must redefine the 'ideal worker' and accept it is a fantasy to expect people to have none other than work commitments."

A survey by mobile management company iAnywhere found that half of mobile workers thought they had a better balance in their lives between work and home.

While IT trade association Intellect warns that forcing companies to take any action isn't efficient, it does believe the move towards more flexible working is a positive one. "Businesses have to be shown why it will help them," said Carrie Hartnell, programme manager at Intellect.

Indeed, many companies are taking steps toward more flexible working arrangements on their own. Earlier this month, representatives from unions and major firms - including BT, the RAC and Transport for London (TfL) - pledged support for flexible, mobile and remote working practices, with the goal of increasing the practices by 2011 by signing an agreement created by pro-flexibility charity Work Wise UK.

"Smarter working is already happening," said David Lennan, chairman of Work Wise. "Some are already reaping the benefits. We need to get others to see those benefits."

Aside from a more balanced lifestyle, flexible working can improve productivity as well as reduce road congestion and environmental damage. Everyone working from home just one day a week would lessen road congestion by 20 per cent, Lennan noted.

Flexible working systems aren't limited to letting the office crowd stay home one day a week, but new technology is making it an increasingly popular option for corporations, said Rob Bamforth, principal analyst at consultancy Quocirca.

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