The Private Sector Working Group (PSWG) for the Department of Work and Pensions have published guidance which is aimed at employers and looking to develop a culture of flexible working.
The PSWG brings together employer bodies, the TUC and recruiters to find practical ways of delivering culture change, outside of the legislative process.
With help from the communications agency AMV BBDO and influenced by research into how NUDGE techniques can positively impact on our behaviour (carried out by the Behavioral Insights unit at the Cabinet Office) the group has come up with the strap line “Happy to talk flexible working" and a logo for employers to promote and encourage a move towards a more flexible working culture. Guidance on how to make best use of the strap line and logo during the early stages of job design and recruitment has also been produced to help employers gain the maximum benefit from adopting a flexible working policy within their organisation.
Flexible working and the Right to Request for all
23 January 2014
The government has announced that the new rules which will allow all employees to be able to request flexible working, will be in force by autumn 2014.
The government's flexible working proposals intend to extend the statutory right to request flexible working to all employees by autumn 2014.
The changes mean employees employed for at least 26 weeks by the same employer will be able to make one request in a 12 month period to work flexibly.
There are many different types of flexible working, ranging from part-time working, compressed hours or just varying start and finish times. Benefits to businesses adopting flexible working include access to a wider pool of skills and talents in the workforce, increased productivity and improved recruitment and retention rates.
Research by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills estimates in their Impact Assessment that the anticipated benefits to business include:
Higher productivity (£36.8m); Lower labour turnover (£8.4m), and Reduced absenteeism (£1.4m)
Acas has published the responses to its consultation on a new Code of Practice and guidance on flexible working. The consultation asked employers for their views on the draft Code and good practice guidance to help manage flexible working requests.
A new revised draft Code of Practice has been published and also the following guide for employers:
Handling requests to work flexibly in a reasonable manner – January 2014
Acas has made a number of changes to the Code following the consultation including:
Additional detail in paragraph 3 of the Code on the information required to make a flexible working request.
CIPP Policy News Journal
16/04/2014, Page 73 of 519
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