Employment law changes could see millions of Brits awarded the right to demand they work from home.
Of course, following the pandemic, working habits have changed.
During lockdown, millions were ordered to work from home.
And now it seems employees could be given the right to decide where they work as soon as they start a new job.
Employment laws to bring change in working from home?
It’s been reports that new laws are currently being drawn up by ministers.
If approved, they could give millions of workers the right to demand working from home as soon as they start a new job.
It’s reported that the government wants to allow for more flexible working.
This would include job-sharing, flexi-time and staggered hours, to improve work-life balance.
At present, workers can only demand to work from home after six months in a new job.
The proposed legislation would bring this forward to the first day.
‘It’s a no-brainer’
Small businesses minister Kevin Hollinrake said: “Giving staff more say over their working pattern makes for happier employees and more productive businesses.
“Put simply, it’s a no-brainer.
“Greater flexibility over where, when, and how people work is an integral part of our plan to make the UK the best place in the world to work,” he concluded.
‘Real issues’ with new legislation
However, it has been met with some opposition.
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith issued a warning over the proposed legislation.
He pointed out that it could lead to trouble for many small businesses.
He said: “For small businesses there are real issues here.
“They’re worried about this sort of thing, because what you end up with if you’re not careful is small business finding it difficult to get certain jobs done because people just say: ‘I’m heading off home.’
“The government needs to make it clear there’s a way small businesses will be able to cope with this. If you’re a great big multinational that’s got tonnes and tonnes of people around it’s not such a problem,” he concluded.
Employment law change would help ‘close gender pay gap’
However, Frances O’Grady, head of the TUC, has backed the plans.
Frances said flexible working “should be available to everyone”.
“It’s how we keep mums in work, close the gender pay gap and give dads more time with their kids, and it’s how we keep disabled workers, older workers and carers in their jobs,” Frances said.
Frances then added: “Allowing working people to ask for flexible working from their first day in a job would be a small step in the right direction.
“But we’d like the government to go much further to ensure that flexible work now becomes the norm.”
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