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To: Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Secretary of State for Business

Stronger legal rights to flexible working

Over four out of five workers in Britain want flexible working yet too many people are missing out. The Government must ensure all workers have stronger legal rights to flexibility.

We are calling on the government to:
1) Introduce a duty to make employers publish flexible work options in job adverts
2) Give all workers the right to flexible working from day 1 in the job

Why is this important?

Four out of five workers want to work flexibly and 92 per cent of mums who worked flexibly told us they would find it difficult or impossible to do their job without it.

But current flexible working rights are way too limited – workers only have the right to request flexibility after 6 months in the job. Employers can turn down requests for a huge range of reasons – one in three requests for flexible working are turned down.

So far, the government has failed to act, and its consultation on flexible working last year proposed making the right to request a day one right, but this is tinkering round the edges of a failed policy.

People who need to work flexibly ­ - mums, dads, carers, disabled workers, older workers - need to know whether flexibility is available before they even apply for the job.

A day one right to ask would mean having to ask at interview or one your first day in the job, and loads of people won't feel comfortable doing this for fear of rejection or being seen as 'awkward' by their employer.

That’s why employers must be legally required to include flexible working options in job adverts and everyone needs the right to have flexible working, not just to ask.

Secretary of State for Business, Kwasi Kwarteng, sets the rules here. He could bring legislation to build up our rights to flexible work. We’re calling on him to help make work more flexible for everyone.

Partner

Updates

2021-11-12 07:45:12 +0000

5,000 signatures reached

2021-07-15 08:46:17 +0100

100 signatures reached

2021-07-15 07:23:15 +0100

50 signatures reached

2021-07-15 06:36:30 +0100

25 signatures reached

2021-07-15 05:30:32 +0100

10 signatures reached