07-11-2007
Brown pledges extension of flexible working
News by Adfero for Simply Business - independent providers of business insurance, business finance, landlord insurance, buy-to-let mortgages & commercial mortgages.
Prime minister Gordon Brown yesterday pledged to broaden the scope of flexible working in Britain.
According to reports, Mr Brown has promised to award the right to request flexible working to parents with children older than regulations currently permit. Mr Brown's pledge follows a similar one by David Cameron, leader of the opposition, to offer the right of request to all parents with children under the age of 18.
Flexible working can take a number of different forms, including flexi-time, the use of compressed hours and also working from home. However, the Federation of Small Businesses warned: "The danger is that large businesses with their human resources departments will have no problem with the results of this review but that small firms will suffer, despite the fact that they employ over half of the private sector workforce in the UK."
An unknown source with inside knowledge of the government, reported by the Financial Times, added that the real question would be by how much the right to flexible working would be extended. Currently, the right to request flexible working arrangements is enjoyed by approximately six million of Britain's employees.