Well, if it isn’t already it could just get way more important. The upcoming changes 2 the law means that from the first of April you have the right to request flexible working from day one. Currently you have to wait till you have 26 weeks service, so this change has the potential to be hugely impactful for both candidate, employee and employer. Campaigners such as mother_pukka and Pregnant then screwed have long lobbied for this change and we’ve a lot to be thankful for.
The pandemic shifted where and how we work on its axis
With the world overnight and almost completely changing how we work in response to COVID19, the rest of us caught up with how some indiviudals and companies were asking and being expected to work. More by productivity than presence. Bosses walking the floor to check on its workers became redundant. The argument for only being “in the office” became simply irrelevant for the most part with businesses continuing to operate well & profitably (Spider Man 2 in 2023 was reported as being made by fully remote teams) however brands such as Dyson as far back as 2021 opposed working from home.
Yet we are seeing more headlines of businesses such as Google/Goldman Sachs & Netflix and only today the BBC reported on Boots insisting on return to office 5 days a week in the coming months. We seem to be faced with a very real tension between the workers and employers at a time when are right to flexible work is moving positively.
Its all about the timing
For people thinking about making a career move this new legislation could mean say potentially a rise in resignation levels where there is more chance of greater flexibility sooner. Knowing that you can request this could be a dealbreaker for those changing jobs in the near future.
Firming up the retoric around flexibility
If flexibility is important to you, and that can mean any number of things from structuring your time differently, mixing up where you work or even shifting it completely. Then this is a change-changer on the face of it. But caution is our friend here. You have the right to request but not to be guarenteed it will be supported with an employer being able to site upto 7 reasons why you can’t work flexibly. But they do have to give a valid reason and response.
Who is flexibility good for?
Parents not able to either secure or pay for the most expensive childcare in Europe, those priced out of the housing and rental market can live more realistically, disabled individuals or those living with chronic illnesses or are neurodivergent that do not thrive in the rather narrow work environment of the “Office”. These amongst many many others stand to benefit from this change.
Not having to wait 6 months to start the conversation and knowing that you can now make 2 requests for flexibility a year not just the current number of 1, can keep and bring more people excluded from work into employment. Hand over fist we are loosing talent from the job market and this is just one way to counter this trend.
So why are some company bosses handing out a new dictate of Return to the office? Control, employee interaction, inability to manage remotely, culture, return on investment in commercial real estate. Perhaps all of the above. Often this voices are very binary; rich, male, older & of a fixed mindset.
Recently I spoke about the importance of knowing and actively using your work values. The theme of flexibility can really hold hands with your work values in creating your list of non negotiables in your career decision making. Ask yourself:
When (what time of day) am I most productive? Which tasks or type of work benefit from being with others in real life? What other life areas would be better if work was shaped a bit differently?
With this knowledge of changes to the law and its potential is really beneficial in working towards what is truly meaningful and enjoyable work. Work that benefits us all.
