One employment issue gaining traction in Parliament this month has been the Flexible Working Bill. The bill passed its second reading this week and, whilst currently being vague on details, is anticipated to encourage more flexible working with the right to make a request expected to become a day one employment right.
It is also believed the bill would reduce the time to consult on a request would drop from three months to two and that employees would be able to make two requests a year instead of one. Employees would also not have to provide any detail on the impact of the request on the business or how it could be mitigated. However, little has been said on what reasons an employer will have to refuse save for encouragement to “think outside of the box and more creatively”.
The bill still needs to pass several more readings before having a chance of becoming enshrined in law. However, do not be surprised to see it be introduced in April 2023. Regardless of whether it does or not the rise in hybrid working in the post-covid world means most employers are already adopting a more flexible approach to work in order to attract skilled candidates.
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