UK Firms Would Be Required To Include Flexible Working Under Proposed Legislation

A new proposition called the Flexible Working Bill could make flexible working a default for all jobs in the UK.

The bill, introduced by Conservative MP Helen Whately, would require employers to include flexible work options at their organizations in some way or another. 

Whately said that traditional five-day work weeks only made sense when households consisted of stay-at-home moms and had only a single source of income. Now, that is no longer the case.

“At the moment, too many women are reluctantly dropping out of work or going part-time after having children because their employers won’t allow them flexibility,” said Whately. “As a result, men don’t get to spend as much time as they might like with their children, women miss out on career opportunities, and the country loses out on the contribution they could and would like to make if only they could do slightly different hours or work some days from home.”

Many firms have embraced this proposition, such as Matt Weston, Managing Director at human resource consulting firm Robert Half. Weston said that technology has aided the push for flexible and remote working as employees no longer have to sit at their desks to complete tasks.