Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 9
9
Rejected
Paragraph: 65
Produce employer hiring guide within six months encouraging flexible and part-time working opportunities
Recommendation
Many people are not able to work full-time, and a lack of suitable, flexible work is barring people from engaging with the labour market. This is particularly evident for people who have additional needs or responsibilities which make more traditional working patterns challenging. DWP should produce a hiring guide within the next six months which encourages employers to create opportunities for flexible working where possible, including hybrid working, job sharing, flexible hours and part-time roles. This guidance should highlight the benefits to both employers and employees and promote a change in employer attitudes towards offering greater flexibility to staff. The success of these initiatives will partly depend upon the impact that they have on productivity.
Government Response Summary
The government rejected the recommendation to produce a new hiring guide, stating that it will instead work with existing initiatives and the Flexible Working Taskforce to encourage employers to sign-up to the 'Happy To Talk Flexible Working' strapline.
Paragraph Reference:
65
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
The Government has for some time been promoting the key role the availability of flexible working can play in supporting people to access, remain and return to work. DWP works closely with DBT on this issue, including to promote flexible working to employers. This is why we have supported the Employment Relations (Flexible Working) Act 2023. The Act will make some key changes to the existing legal framework around the right to request flexible working, to better encourage a positive conversation between employer and employee and make it easier to make a request. In parallel the Government has committed, through regulations, to make the right to request a flexible working arrangement apply from the first day of employment. This will bring an estimated 2.2 million additional employees into scope. This is an important step in supporting people who need to access flexible working in order to enter or return to the labour market. Through the Carer’s Leave Act 2023 we are additionally creating a new leave right which will give extra flexibility to those employed unpaid carers who may be at risk of falling out of the labour market as they face the challenge of balancing work with their caring responsibilities. When it comes into force, this new legislation will also be supported by comprehensive guidance, which will provide an opportunity to explain the business case for flexible working. It will also provide the opportunity to set out some of the implications of the new legislation. Of course, not all flexible working is statutory or contractual and less formal flexible working can also help people to remain in work – where they are managing a fluctuating health condition, for instance. That is why we have also published a call for evidence on non-statutory flexible working to seek views from both individuals and businesses on their experiences of non-statutory flexible working and how it operates in practice. We are also looking to support voluntary approaches by employers when it comes to flexible working and recruitment. Working Families, with the support of the Government’s Flexible Working Taskforce, have developed the “Happy To Talk Flexible Working” strapline and logo to support employers on their journey to designing more flexible roles. This was launched in July and is supported by several business representative organisations and groups such as the TUC, Acas and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. “Happy to Talk Flexible Working” explains what flexible working is and sets out the business benefits and is supported by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s business case for flexible working. Employers are asked to make a commitment to use the logo appropriately. Therefore, rather than creating another product, Government believes the best course of action is to work closely with Working Families and the other members of the Flexible Working Taskforce to encourage employers to sign-up to “Happy to Talk Flexible Working”.