Get ready for more employment law change! From 30 June 2014 any employee with 6 months continuous service can make a request for flexible working time to their employer.
Currently only employees with children under the age of 17 (18 if the child is disabled) or carers of dependents (e.g. an elderly relative) can request flexible working. But that all changes with effect from the end of this month.
Bear in mind this is only a right to make the request, not necessarily to be granted the desired flexible working pattern. However, employers will need to give a legitimate business reason (and there are prescribed reasons set out by the legislation that must be referred to) why the flexible working is not possible if they wish to decline any such request.
We hope this is welcomed as a positive move by employers who are looking for cost effective and meaningful ways to engage and retain motivated and committed employees. Enabling greater work life balance is an excellent way to achieve this, and with a little imagination, businesses can use the increased flexibility to their benefit too.
Consider for example the office that allows late starts & finishes for some, and early starts & finishes for others – the scope to provide a service to customers for extended hours can help a business be competitive.
Give us a call if you want to discuss how you can make flexible working time work to your advantage.