There has been some speculation that the recently leaked report, commissioned by David Cameron and discussed in this blog, called for the abolition of the right to request flexible working (amongst
There has been some speculation that the recently leaked report, commissioned by David Cameron and discussed in this blog, called for the abolition of the right to request flexible working (amongst other proposals). In a consultation published earlier this year, the Government proposed to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees.
The main driving force for the suggested abolition of this right is apparently to reduce the red tape burden for businesses, in the hope that this will improve productivity within businesses and ultimately lead to economic growth.
However, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development ("CIPD") have just released new tribunal statistics which they believe demonstrate beyond doubt that any fears about the impact of extending the right to request flexible working are "grossly exaggerated".
Mike Emmott, an employee relations adviser at CIPD, comments that "the reality is that businesses of all sizes are way ahead of the critics in the way they have responded to the legislation. An extension of the law is highly unlikely to lead to an avalanche of requests because most employers already recognise that flexible working is an integral part of the modern workplace".
Whether the Government's proposal, if implemented, will have a significant impact on the productivity of businesses is debatable, in light of the statistics that have been produced. Certainly from CIPD's perspective, they are urging the Government to stick to its current implementation timetable to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees and to refrain from extending the three year moratorium that exempts micro businesses from new employment legislation.
The main driving force for the suggested abolition of this right is apparently to reduce the red tape burden for businesses, in the hope that this will improve productivity within businesses and ultimately lead to economic growth.
However, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development ("CIPD") have just released new tribunal statistics which they believe demonstrate beyond doubt that any fears about the impact of extending the right to request flexible working are "grossly exaggerated".
Mike Emmott, an employee relations adviser at CIPD, comments that "the reality is that businesses of all sizes are way ahead of the critics in the way they have responded to the legislation. An extension of the law is highly unlikely to lead to an avalanche of requests because most employers already recognise that flexible working is an integral part of the modern workplace".
Whether the Government's proposal, if implemented, will have a significant impact on the productivity of businesses is debatable, in light of the statistics that have been produced. Certainly from CIPD's perspective, they are urging the Government to stick to its current implementation timetable to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees and to refrain from extending the three year moratorium that exempts micro businesses from new employment legislation.