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Flexible Working Policy

The Department for Business and Trade, alongside energy and industrial strategy departments, is advancing flexible working rights through the 'Make Work Pay' consultation and policy reform. The initiative addresses barriers to flexible working access, including reforms to shared parental leave notice periods and examination of flexibility impacts on teaching and learning in schools. The policy is in active consultation and implementation phase.

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Family: Scrutiny and evidence

2026

2 events
28 Apr 2026 | Written question Department for Business and Trade linked

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Parental Leave and Pay review is considering the ability for individuals with severe illness, such as cancer, to postpone maternity le

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether the Parental Leave and Pay review is considering the ability for individuals with severe illness, such as cancer, to postpone maternity leave.

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK

2025

1 event
10 Jun 2025 | Committee report linked

The Government’s review should examine barriers to flexibility in the SPL scheme, including the requirement for employees to give employers eight weeks’ notice of blocks of leave and changes to start and end dates for leave. This should be with a view, subject to consultation with employers, to reducing notice periods and maximising flexibility within the scheme. (Recommendation, Paragraph 93)

The Government’s review should examine barriers to flexibility in the SPL scheme, including the requirement for employees to give employers eight weeks’ notice of blocks of leave and changes to start and end dates for leave. This should be with …

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2024

11 events
17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

For the mentoring aspect of the ECF we recommend that more time and resources are given to mentors, in order for them to provide early career teachers with the necessary time and support. Mentoring provides a key strength of the framework, but retention of experienced mentors will be key to its long-term success.

For the mentoring aspect of the ECF we recommend that more time and resources are given to mentors, in order for them to provide early career teachers with the necessary time and support. Mentoring provides a key strength of the …

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17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

Beyond the specific subject knowledge enhancement programmes that may be delivered within initial teacher training, upskilling is a useful and effective way for non-specialist teachers to gain the necessary knowledge to teach certain subjects once qualified. This approach has the potential to significantly mitigate the impact of subject specific teacher shortages. However, the current inconsistency of opportunities to upskill across subjects undermines its potential. (Paragraph 201) Flexibili...

Beyond the specific subject knowledge enhancement programmes that may be delivered within initial teacher training, upskilling is a useful and effective way for non-specialist teachers to gain the necessary knowledge to teach certain subjects once qualified. This approach has the …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

Since the pandemic, flexible working has been widely embraced across different professions and sectors of the economy. However, this has not been replicated in the education sector. If the education sector is to remain competitive, particularly in the recruitment of graduates, more must be done to increase opportunities for flexible working in schools.

Since the pandemic, flexible working has been widely embraced across different professions and sectors of the economy. However, this has not been replicated in the education sector. If the education sector is to remain competitive, particularly in the recruitment of …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

The Department have told us they will put flexibility at the heart of the new recruitment and retention strategy. This should include the promotion of existing approaches to flexibility that have been proven to be successful such as job shares and part-time working. However, it is clear that the education sector faces unique challenges; these include the high degree of in-person working it requires; issues around timetabling; and the significant and ongoing problem of high workload. The Depar...

The Department have told us they will put flexibility at the heart of the new recruitment and retention strategy. This should include the promotion of existing approaches to flexibility that have been proven to be successful such as job shares …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

We welcome the Department’s initial efforts to support flexible working through the Flexible Working Toolkit launched in summer 2023. However, with only 15% of senior leaders aware of its existence, and even fewer - only 4% - reporting that they found it useful, far more needs to be done to increase awareness of the toolkit amongst school leaders and ensure it is meeting their needs.

We welcome the Department’s initial efforts to support flexible working through the Flexible Working Toolkit launched in summer 2023. However, with only 15% of senior leaders aware of its existence, and even fewer - only 4% - reporting that they …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

The Department should redouble efforts to promote the Flexible Working Toolkit with school leaders, with flexible working ambassador schools playing a central role in this. In addition, this should be backed up with a strategy to monitor the extent to which schools are offering flexible working. We ask that the Government provides a full update on this in response to this report. (Paragraph 221) Teacher recruitment, training and retention 83

The Department should redouble efforts to promote the Flexible Working Toolkit with school leaders, with flexible working ambassador schools playing a central role in this. In addition, this should be backed up with a strategy to monitor the extent to …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

There is a lack of understanding about how flexibility would impact schools, particularly the impact on pupils’ learning and school finances. Further information on this is required in order for school leaders to be able to implement flexible working policies with confidence that these are not going to have a negative impact on learning outcomes or school finances.

There is a lack of understanding about how flexibility would impact schools, particularly the impact on pupils’ learning and school finances. Further information on this is required in order for school leaders to be able to implement flexible working policies …

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17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

The Department should commission research into the impact flexibility has on teaching and learning for pupils as well as teacher retention. Further research is also needed into the resource and financial implications of flexible working arrangements on the school budgets.

The Department should commission research into the impact flexibility has on teaching and learning for pupils as well as teacher retention. Further research is also needed into the resource and financial implications of flexible working arrangements on the school budgets. …

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17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

We welcome the progress made towards reducing teachers working hours, acknowledging that the 5-hour reduction between 2016 and 2019 was a move in the right direction. However, workload remains a top concern for teachers. We welcome the Department’s ambition to reduce working hours by a further 5 hours but urge that this needs to be achieved much sooner than the Department’s 3-year target.

We welcome the progress made towards reducing teachers working hours, acknowledging that the 5-hour reduction between 2016 and 2019 was a move in the right direction. However, workload remains a top concern for teachers. We welcome the Department’s ambition to …

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17 May 2024 | Committee report linked

The Department should also put measures in place to monitor the implementation of strategies and solutions across schools and trusts. The listed recommendations from the Workload Reduction Taskforce should be introduced as a matter of urgency with the Department reviewing progress on this by Spring 2025.

The Department should also put measures in place to monitor the implementation of strategies and solutions across schools and trusts. The listed recommendations from the Workload Reduction Taskforce should be introduced as a matter of urgency with the Department reviewing …

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8 Mar 2024 | Committee report linked

We recommend that the Government and regulators encourage firms to undertake equality impact assessments on their flexible working policies and the interaction with diversity and inclusion within their firm.

We recommend that the Government and regulators encourage firms to undertake equality impact assessments on their flexible working policies and the interaction with diversity and inclusion within their firm. Type: recommendation | Number: 13 | Paragraph: 79 | Response status: …

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2023

3 events
19 Jul 2023 | Committee report linked

Many people are not able to work full-time, and a lack of suitable, flexible work is barring people from engaging with the labour market. This is particularly evident for people who have additional needs or responsibilities which make more traditional working patterns challenging. DWP should produce a hiring guide within the next six months which encourages employers to create opportunities for flexible working where possible, including hybrid working, job sharing, flexible hours and part-tim...

Many people are not able to work full-time, and a lack of suitable, flexible work is barring people from engaging with the labour market. This is particularly evident for people who have additional needs or responsibilities which make more traditional …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK
21 Apr 2023 | Committee report linked

The use of technology and automation in the workplace has enormous potential for improving economic productivity, increasing wages and creating new goods and services for domestic use and export. As we live and work for longer, the use of AI and automation can support how individuals and society adjust to new ways of working. Re-training and upskilling the workforce of the future, in order to make the best use of the potential which AI and automation offer, is essential to economic growth and...

The use of technology and automation in the workplace has enormous potential for improving economic productivity, increasing wages and creating new goods and services for domestic use and export. As we live and work for longer, the use of AI …

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21 Apr 2023 | Committee report linked

We conclude that the outdated legal construction of work—namely full or part-time work—is preventing many people who wish to be economically active from being so. For many workers who do work more flexibly, or on a freelance basis, they are not afforded the rights and protections that full or part-time workers receive. We call on the Government to reconsider the need for an Employment Bill in the upcoming King’s Speech so that legislation can be brought forward to, among other things, create ...

We conclude that the outdated legal construction of work—namely full or part-time work—is preventing many people who wish to be economically active from being so. For many workers who do work more flexibly, or on a freelance basis, they are …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK

2022

2 events
28 Jul 2022 | Committee report linked

We are disappointed that the long-promised Employment Bill has still not materialised. The Government should bring forward legislation before the end of the current Parliament to make the right to request flexible working a day-one right for all employees. It should issue employers with guidance encouraging them to grant any reasonable requests for flexible working, rather than placing the burden on the employee to justify their request. (Paragraph 67) Legal reform

We are disappointed that the long-promised Employment Bill has still not materialised. The Government should bring forward legislation before the end of the current Parliament to make the right to request flexible working a day-one right for all employees. It …

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25 Jul 2022 | Committee report Context · primary home: NHS policy linked

Whilst we welcome changes made to the NHS contract that give every NHS worker a “day one” right to request flexible working, it is clear that this has been insufficient to make flexible working a daily reality in the NHS. No NHS employee should be choosing to locum or work for an agency to regain control over their working life. The NHS must commit to a review of flexible working arrangements in all Trusts, with a view to ensuring that within 12 months all NHS staff have similar flexibilities...

Whilst we welcome changes made to the NHS contract that give every NHS worker a “day one” right to request flexible working, it is clear that this has been insufficient to make flexible working a daily reality in the NHS. …

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2021

4 events
10 Dec 2021 | Committee report linked

The future of the high street will depend in part on where people work. It is therefore disappointing that the Government’s impact assessment of its consultation on Supporting our high streets after COVID-19 69 making flexible working the default does not consider high streets and town centres. The Government should assess the impact of making flexible working the default on high streets and town centres.

The future of the high street will depend in part on where people work. It is therefore disappointing that the Government’s impact assessment of its consultation on Supporting our high streets after COVID-19 69 making flexible working the default does …

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10 Dec 2021 | Committee report linked

With hybrid working likely to become more common, co-working spaces may offer an opportunity to attract footfall to smaller high streets and town centres. The Government should consider how co-working office spaces can be taxed fairly so as to stimulate high street business without harming local authority income or BID levies.

With hybrid working likely to become more common, co-working spaces may offer an opportunity to attract footfall to smaller high streets and town centres. The Government should consider how co-working office spaces can be taxed fairly so as to stimulate …

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29 Jun 2021 | Committee report linked

Changes in the world of work will affect some groups of people more significantly than others. We heard that automation has the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities—but that does not have to be the case.

Changes in the world of work will affect some groups of people more significantly than others. We heard that automation has the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities—but that does not have to be the case. Type: conclusion | Number: 11 …

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29 Jun 2021 | Committee report linked

The shift to remote working has had significant ramifications for people with caring responsibilities. We heard evidence that the number of men undertaking DWP’s preparations for changes in the world of work 51 unpaid childcare has increased during the pandemic. Increased volatility in the labour market has resulted in more people transitioning between jobs, meaning that some parents have missed out on entitlements such as paternity leave. Future changes may lead to greater disruption in the ...

The shift to remote working has had significant ramifications for people with caring responsibilities. We heard evidence that the number of men undertaking DWP’s preparations for changes in the world of work 51 unpaid childcare has increased during the pandemic. …

▤ View document · ↗ GOV.UK