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.
We are seeking views on a new process for employers to follow when handling flexible working requests, as well as insights on flexible working practices more broadly.
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.
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increased flexible working rights for workers in Devon.
In response to: Make Work Pay: improving access to flexible working
In response to: Make Work Pay: improving access to flexible working
We are seeking views on a new process for employers to follow when handling flexible working requests, as well as insights on flexible working practices more broadly.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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 …
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 …
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: …
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 …
UIN: HCWS893 The Government has today published its response to the consultation on parental leave and pay. This confirms that the Government will make changes to Paternity Leave, delivering its manifesto commitment to make it easier to take. In July …
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 …
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 …
Following the recent Supreme Court judgment in Harpur Trust v Brazel , the Government is looking to consult on the calculation of holiday entitlement received by part-year and irregular hours workers. The Government proposes to introduce a holiday entitlement reference …
Following the recent Supreme Court judgment in Harpur Trust v Brazel , the Government is looking to consult on the calculation of holiday entitlement received by part-year and irregular hours workers. The Government proposes to introduce a holiday entitlement reference …
UIN: HCWS411 The Government has today published its response to the consultation on flexible working. This delivers on our manifesto commitment to encourage flexible working, and represents an important part of our drive to deliver growth by helping people to …
UIN: HLWS400 My Honourable friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Kevin Hollinrake) has today made the following statement:The Government has today published its response to the consultation on flexible working. This delivers on our manifesto commitment to...
This consultation seeks views from individuals and businesses on proposals to reform flexible working regulations.
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 …
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. …
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 …
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 …
This consultation seeks views from individuals and businesses on proposals to reform flexible working regulations.
This consultation seeks views from individuals and businesses on proposals to reform flexible working regulations (The Flexible Working Regulations 2014). In 2003, legislation came into force which provided parents and certain other carers with a right to request a flexible …
This consultation seeks views from individuals and businesses on proposals to reform flexible working regulations.
This consultation seeks views from individuals and businesses on proposals to reform flexible working regulations (The Flexible Working Regulations 2014). In 2003, legislation came into force which provided parents and certain other carers with a right to request a flexible …
UIN: HCWS303 The Government has today published a consultation on flexible working and the response to our consultation on a new right to time away from work for unpaid carers. These deliver on commitments in our Manifesto and are an …
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 …
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. …
We recommend the Government amend the Flexible Working Regulations 2014, to remove the 26-weeks’ service threshold for employees to request flexible working arrangements. The pandemic has clearly demonstrated that it is unhelpful and unnecessary. (Paragraph 29) 40 Unequal impact? Coronavirus …
Second Reading 11:40:00 Moved By Baroness Morris of Bolton: My Lords, it gives me enormous pleasure to have the opportunity and privilege to introduce this Bill today. Equal treatment, equal pay and family-friendly working practices are issues that I care …
First Reading 15:06:00 A Bill to amend the Equal Pay Act 1970; and to make provision about flexible working. The Bill was introduced by Baroness Morris of Bolton, read a first time and ordered to be printed.