Rights to time off could undermine better regulation - EEF

The criticism was made on the back of today’s (14 May) announcement on the right to request time off for training and ahead of tomorrow’s expected publication of the Walsh report on flexible working. Martin Temple (pictured), chairman of the manufacturers organisation EEF, said businesses would find it difficult to understand why the government was adopting such a bullish approach to better regulation while, at the same time, introducing yet more regulatory requirements which would inevitably create practical problems. “Our evidence suggests whilst many companies had seen the benefits of flexible working, a majority had experienced problems in adapting to the new legislation. Giving yet more employees the right to request time off will impact especially hard on the smallest companies who are already struggling to adapt to flexible working and will increasingly require employers to adopt the judgement of Solomon in deciding who has time off for training or who is allowed flexible working,” said Temple. EEF has urged the government to delay plans to extend the right to request flexible working to more employees until companies have adjusted, or risk denying employees with legitimate reasons for asking to work flexibly the opportunity to do so. However, Stephen Overell, associate director of The Work Foundation, welcomed the move. The right to request flexible working had been a successful, innovative policy since its introduction in April 2003, he said, and the new move would extend the right to the parents of older children marking a serious expansion: about a third of all workers will now enjoy flexible working rights. “This is a very welcome step, but flexible working on its own is unlikely to address the problems of work-life balance. Childcare, after school programmes and working time reform are all aspects of policy which can help ease the pressures of family life.”