Leaders from across business and civil society have welcomed the Government strengthening redundancy protections to cover pregnancy and a period of time after parents return to work, and changes to flexible working, Carer's Leave and Paternity Leave, which all came into effect on 6 April 2024.
COMMENTS ON THE OVERALL PACKAGE OF CHANGES
Peter Cheese, Chief Executive of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said:
The CIPD has been pleased to feed into the development of these legislative changes which will benefit millions of workers and enable them to better balance their work and home lives, and responsibilities.
At the same time, these changes will support employers' efforts to recruit and retain a more diverse workforce by providing more flexibility and support to people with different needs due to ill health or caring responsibilities for example.
Ann Francke OBE, Chief Executive at the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), said:
These legislative changes are an important step towards creating modern workplaces that enable employees to better manage their work and caring responsibilities, giving them more flexibility on when and where they work.
At CMI we know that flexibility tops the list of desired benefits from managers at every level. And as managers themselves will often be on the receiving end of these requests it's important employers ensure managers have the resources and training they need to support team members.
Managers and leaders are the driving force behind creating an inclusive culture that fosters a sense of trust and openness so that employees feel comfortable in making these requests.
Dr Carole Easton OBE, Chief Executive at the Centre for Ageing Better:
We welcome this legislation coming into force which marks significant progress towards making workplace cultures more flexible and inclusive. This will particularly benefit older workers and anyone managing a health condition or caring responsibilities alongside work.
Strengthening the rights of employees is an important step to creating more flexible workplaces, ensuring that employers think more proactively about how jobs can be done flexibly.
COMMENTS ON PROTECTIONS FROM REDUNDANCY:
Joeli Brearley, Founder and CEO, Pregnant Then Screwed, said:
A significant number of new mums are pushed out of their job because they are seen as less committed to their role or a burden to business, the impact can be catastrophic for women and their families. Extending redundancy protections to pregnant women and parents returning from leave is a vital step towards reducing pregnancy and maternity discrimination.
Highlighting the extended protections for pregnant women and new parents, Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said:
We welcome these changes to flexible working laws, and the further protections for pregnant women as well as those taking parental leave.
An employer understanding their legal duties is the foundation of equality in the workplace. As Britain's equality regulator, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has published an updated toolkit, which explains those legal obligations and provides employers with practical advice on how they can best support pregnant women at work and ensure those staff taking parental leave are not discriminated against.
COMMENTS ON CHANGES TO FLEXIBLE WORKING:
Dr Roger Barker, Director of Policy and Corporate Governance at the Institute of Directors, said:
The IoD is strongly supportive of changes to flexible working, including the right to request flexible working as a day one right. Against a backdrop of acute skills and labour shortages in the UK, flexible working is a valuable tool for businesses seeking to attract and retain talented staff. Good flexible working policies can also support groups more likely to fall out of the workforce, such as parents and disabled people, to thrive in the workplace.
Jane Gratton, Deputy Director Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said:
Firms of all sizes and sectors are embracing flexible working because it makes good business sense. It is now an integral part of modern workplace practices, helping employers to recruit and retain a skilled workforce.
There are times in life when we all need a bit more flexibility to balance work with changes to health, family, and other commitments. There are now a wide range flexible working solutions that can be explored to ensure businesses have access to the skills they need.
The legislation encourages employers to explore these options at an earlier stage, to help fill job vacancies, and help employees stay in work when their circumstances change. Finding solutions that balance the needs of the employer and the individual will ensure businesses thrive with engaged and productive employees.
Susan Clews, Acas Chief Executive, said:
There has been a global shift to flexible working following the pandemic, which has allowed more people to better balance their working lives and employers have also benefitted from being an attractive place to work.
Our new Code aims to foster flexible working further and covers the new law changes. It sets out good practice on flexible working requests and will help employers and employees avoid any pitfalls.
There are many types of flexible working such as part-time working, flexitime, job sharing, staggered hours, hybrid and homeworking. The starting position for businesses should be to consider what may be possible.
Matthew Percival, CBI Future of Work & Skills Director, said:
Many businesses already try to facilitate discussions about flexibility at the earliest possible stage because they see the business case for removing barriers to hiring from the broadest pool of talent, particularly when facing labour shortages.
In making the right to request flexibility available earlier and more regularly, the government's changes will give more people confidence to have conversations about options for flexibility with their employer.
Claire Campbell, CEO of flexible working consultancy and social enterprise Timewise, says:
Timewise are pleased to see this new legislation which strengthens the rights of workers to make a request for the flexibility they need from day one. Flexible working, diversity and inclusion are interwoven. Employers who proactively support flexible working open the door to new and exciting talent. With around half of workers interested in using their rights to request a flexible working pattern on Day One, businesses could soon find themselves needing to respond to requests.
Joeli Brearley, Founder and CEO, Pregnant Then Screwed, said:
If we want a society that enables people to financially contribute to their families and to the economy then it is imperative we embrace flexible working. Hundreds of thousands of mothers are in jobs that are well below their skill level, or they are locked out of the labour market all together because they cannot access a job that gives them the flexibility they need. This new law sends a clear message that flexible working is an important component of a high-functioning, modern labour market.
Jane van Zyl, CEO of Working Families, said:
It's wonderful to see months of hard work and collaboration with policymakers finally come to fruition with the introduction of the Flexible Working Act. This new legislation marks a turning of the tide toward understanding that flexible working doesn't just benefit people whose lives don't fit the traditional 9 to 5, but that there are enormous advantages for business and the economy. With initiatives such as our Happy to Talk Flexible Working, employers can start thinking flex-first, designing jobs that fit modern lives, and signal to parents and carers they are a valuable and valued part of the labour market.
Jemima Olchawski, Chief Executive of the Fawcett Society:
High-quality, meaningful flexible working arrangements are critical to achieving gender equality. We're so pleased to see this range of changes to employment legislation that will start to unlock the workforce for some women. It's particularly good to see that the onus we were previously placing on employees to justify their request for flexible working has been removed - lifting a barrier that existed before many even had the chance to ask.
This is a great start to ensuring women are allowed to progress at work with the flexible working arrangements they require, and making flexible work the norm for both women and men. Women should not be held back due to old-fashioned workplace norms, and this change is an excellent first step into the future.
Kate Shoesmith, Recruitment and Employment Confederation Deputy Chief Executive, said:
Flexible working was the new normal far before the pandemic accelerated awareness of it, and it is now an integral part of our economy and workers' lives. It is a vital tool for those that wish to take advantage of an expected upturn in economic growth later this year. Recruiters play an important role in explaining different models of work and the associated workers' rights to their clients, and this change in legislation is another opportunity to promote the benefits of flexible working in a tight labour market. The Flexible Working Taskforce, of which REC was a member, also proves the importance of business-government partnerships in creating regulatory structures that are fit-for-purpose and help everyone to succeed in work.
Jamie Cater, Senior Policy Manager Employment at Make UK, said:
Flexible working has become key to manufacturers' ability to recruit and retain talent. While there remain some challenges to ensuring that the potential benefits of flexibility are available to everyone in manufacturing, firms in the sector are increasingly making flexible working work for their businesses. A quarter of manufacturers say that the changes taking effect from 6th April will make them more likely to accept flexible working requests, and some feel encouraged to go further by the legislation, such as including the potential for flexibility in job adverts or discussing with candidates at interview stage.
COMMENTS ON NEW ENTITLEMENT FOR UNPAID CARERS:
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK said:
We are delighted that millions of unpaid carers are set to benefit from these new laws being brought in today, but particularly the Carer's Leave Act and the new flexible working provisions. With 600 people a day giving up work to care, we know from carers that these kinds of measures can help to keep them in work for longer - vital for carers and the economy.
We know from our Employers for Carers forum, that implementing this support also makes good business sense, improving employees' health and wellbeing and reducing recruitment and retention costs. This is a double benefit, for families and for the economy.
Chris O'Shea, Group Chief Executive at Centrica, owner of British Gas, said:
Carers do amazing work, most of it unseen. Juggling a job and caring can be a real struggle, emotionally and financially, which is why we've worked with Carers UK for the last twenty years to help demonstrate the economic case for supporting carers in the workplace.
At Centrica, we provide paid carers leave, flexible working and a support network for our working carers. Not only is it the right thing to do, there is a clear business case for supporting carers, including better colleague satisfaction and retention. The introduction of five days statutory carer's leave through the Carer's Leave Act is a great step forward and will make an enormous difference to all working carers in the UK'.
Chief People Officer at TSB Bank, Ariam Enraght-Moony, commented:
With 1 in 7 people now juggling work with caring responsibilities, we welcome the new right to unpaid leave in the Carer's Leave Act. This is a critical step forward in helping more carers balance their jobs with unpaid caring responsibilities.
Having introduced paid carers leave at TSB we've seen first-hand the benefit that this can have for colleagues who look after loved ones and the benefits for the business in helping us retain talent.
Ceri Smith, Head of Policy at the MS Society, says:
The Carer's Leave Act is a great step forward for carers, bringing in much-needed legal rights to time off work for caring responsibilities.
Living with MS can be debilitating, exhausting and unpredictable, and many people will need care from family and friends at some point. Time off to manage caring for someone with MS will be a huge boost for carers and will support many of them to stay in work.
Claire Hawkins, Director of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations at Phoenix Group and Executive Sponsor of Phoenix Group's colleague Carers Network, said:
At Phoenix Group we have seen the real value of providing carers leave as we continue to actively retain and recruit people with caring responsibilities. The Flexible Working Act and Carers Leave Act coming into force will help to secure real change for the millions of people in the UK who have to balance their caring responsibilities with paid work. It also makes economic sense: inadequate support for working carers costs UK businesses billions every year. These new laws are an important first step to enable working carers to remain in the workplace and help businesses to retain high quality, motivated staff for longer.
