Published October 14, 2022
It seems hard to believe now, but up until a few years ago UK employees only had the right to request flexible working if there were a registered carer, had children under the age of 17, or children under the age of 18 with a registered disability.
But all that changed on June 30, 2014 when the UK’s Flexible Working Regulations were amended to allow anyone the right to request flexible working, so long as they have been with their employer for at least six months.
It looks like post-pandemic flexible working is here to stay – ONS figures show that more than 8 in 10 workers who had to work from home during the coronavirus pandemic said they planned to hybrid work. If you’re considering putting in a work from home request, here’s all you need to know.
Published June 1, 2021
The benefits of flexible working are well documented – not least in these pages – it gives employees more control over their working lives, allowing for a better work/life balance, something that is becoming increasingly important in the UK where almost two thirds of families rely on dual incomes.
It also helps to engender a reciprocated sense of trust between employers and employees and there’s also the beneficial effect on the working environment that shouldn’t be overlooked – a culture of flexible working culture is gaining traction with many UK employers.
This makes the decisions companies such as Yahoo and HP have made to restrict or even cut out flexible working completely seem regressive a possibly detrimental to staff morale and productivity.
So if the benefits are well documented, why is it that some companies – including big ones such as Yahoo and HP – don’t offer employees the option to work from home?
Published June 6, 2018
The summer heatwave looks like it’s here to stay, and one would assume this has to be good for productivity – the longer, brighter, warmer days should make even the most chronic couch potato want to get up and out into the world.
But, in the world of work, this can bring its own problems – yes, everyone wants to get out of the house when the weather is good, but they don’t necessarily want to go and then spend a day locked away in the office instead. And so the summer sick note becomes a thing, when the number of staff turning in for work seems drop in direct correlation with the rise in temperature.
If this sounds like your workplace, your business is far from alone, as research commissioned by PMI Health Group, has found a third of businesses recorded an increase in the number of staff calling in sick as the summer heatwave gripped the UK.
And of those companies questioned as part of the study, over half (54%) reported that they do not operate flexible working hours that staff can take advantage of at short notice.
So, could these companies benefit from introducing more accessible working from home policies or would that mean they’re being dictated to by employees who are all to quick to call in sick.
Published July 26, 2017
It’s hard to believe it been over three years since the UK’s new flexible working regulations came into force and now all employers will have to seriously consider their flexible working practices – it has to be right for both the employer and the employee.
With so many variables involved though, things can quickly get complicated.
So if you’re an employer or an employee considering the options, it’s a good idea to break flexible working down into two components – ‘flexi-time’ and ‘telecommute’.
Published April 5, 2017
Cloud computing is a technology that enables companies to manage data and files online, rather than on a computer’s hard drive, and has been a driving force behind the growth of flexible working across the UK.
And 2017 is expected to be the year when we reach the tipping point where flexible working becomes more common than working from an office, according to a report from Lancaster University’s Work Foundation.
So what is the future of flexible working? And how will cloud computing feature in this brave new world?
Published November 9, 2016
Flexible working is more common in the workplace than ever before – it’s even enshrined in legislation, following the introduction of new flexible working laws in 2014 – but reports that the traditional nine-to-five is dead appear to be well wide of the mark.
According to a survey from Britain’s Healthiest Workplace, almost three quarters (73%) of UK companies still don’t offer this option to all their staff – if your workplace is one of them, here’s why you need to get on board to avoid getting left behind.
Published June 3, 2016
More than half of all UK office workers are now allowed to work remotely, and a third report they are more productive when working outside of the usual workplace.
Figures from the latest YouGov Omnibus research found over half (54%) of UK office workers are currently able to work remotely – just under a third (30%) found this increased their capacity to put a shift in, compared to just under a fifth (17%) who said the opposite was true.
So what exactly does remote working entail? And is there a difference between that and flexible working? Let’s take a look…
Published September 3, 2015
If you’re an employer, you may be concerned that offering staff the chance to work from home could lead to a drop in productivity – but for many employees, the exact opposite is true and some feel the need to get away from the office to concentrate on their work.
A FlexJobs survey of over 2,600 employees found more than three-quarters (76%) of respondents get out of the office when they have to focus on important projects.
And of those who do prefer to work in the office, many would sooner work there out of the traditional nine-to-five office hours.
So is it time to end the nine-to-five?
Published June 8, 2014
As of June 30 this year, all UK employees will have a legal right to request flexible working – including remote working, working from home, flexi-time and job sharing – in what will be one of the biggest shake-ups in employment law the UK has ever seen.
Of course, asking for flexible working is one thing, getting it can be quite another, but this new legislation means your employer has to at least consider your proposal. So put a good enough case across – think reduced overheads, increased productivity – and you could be soon be flexible working and all the benefits it brings.
Published May 8, 2023
The last few years have seen the trend for remote working really take off – ONS figures show that from September 2022 to January 2023, almost half (44%) of employees worked from home or did hybrid work.
But if you do spend some of your working week at home, are there any implications as far as insurance claims are concerned? And are we now all more at risk from insurers not paying out on home insurance claims?
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