EEF expressed particular concern about the proposal to extend the right to request flexible working to employees with children up to the age of sixteen.
This follows EEF’s recent survey (1) showing that, whilst many companies had seen the benefits of flexible working, a majority have experienced practical problems with implementing the legislation as it already stands. The survey also showed manufacturers’ clear opposition to extending the right to request flexible working beyond those already covered.
Commenting, EEF Deputy Director of Employment Policy, David Yeandle, said:
"Whilst manufacturers support the right to request flexible working, they must also have the right to reject on the grounds of business competitiveness. Government must retain this right and recognise that there are challenges for companies in coping with the current legislation by delaying any extension.
"If this right is granted to more parents too quickly, it may lead to a situation where companies are more likely to say 'no' to requests and some people who really need to work flexibly may lose out."
EEF therefore welcomed Imelda Walsh’s strong support for employers to be able to continue to reject requests for genuine business reasons, for the right only to be available, as now, after 26 weeks' employment and, for the right to be limited to employees with caring responsibilities.
EEF also believes there is a need for a wider debate about how society addresses work/life balance issues as flexible working is only one way in which this important issue can be tackled. Other issues, such as the provision of more extensive and affordable care provision for children, the disabled and the elderly, also need to be examined.
"We need a far wider debate about flexible working as employers should not be the only people expected to help address the work/life balance issues that many employees are facing today" added David Yeandle.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
EEF’s survey of 446 companies on flexible working was published in April 2008. It showed that two-thirds of employers reported that flexible working had created practical problems. The most common were extra pressure on other employees, difficulties arising from sections being left short-staffed and difficulty in managing flexible working practices.
The statutory right to request flexible working was introduced in 2003 for parents of young and disabled children (provided they have worked for their employer for 26 weeks). In 2007 the scope of the law was extended to cover carers of certain adults. Employers have a duty to consider requests from these categories of employees but they are able to reject flexible working requests on one or more of a number of business grounds.
EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation is the representative voice of manufacturing in the UK. It has a growing membership of almost 6,000 companies of all sizes, employing some 900,000 people from every sector of engineering, manufacturing, engineering construction and technology-based industries.