It’s Time To “Cease The Witch-Hunt” Towards Versatile Working, Says Coalition of Unions
It’s time to “cease the witch-hunt” towards versatile working, says coalition of unions and equality campaigners.
Unions and equality campaigners have as we speak (Monday) condemned escalating assaults on versatile working.
A joint assertion launched as we speak – signed by organisations and campaigners together with the TUC, Age UK, the Fawcett Society, Anna Whitehouse (founding father of Flex Attraction) and Pregnant Then Screwed – warns of a “witch-hunt” towards employees having the ability to work extra flexibly.
The intervention comes as the federal government prepares to publish its Employment Rights Invoice which is anticipated to boost current rights to versatile working.
Highlighting the continuing briefing towards versatile working, the organisations say:
“It’s time to cease the witch-hunt towards versatile working. In latest weeks, we now have seen relentless scaremongering about how new laws on versatile working will hurt UK companies and productiveness.”
“These warnings couldn’t be farther from the reality.”
Pointing to the recruitment and retention issues going through employers the organisations say:
“There are 800,000 fewer individuals within the workforce than earlier than the pandemic, and one of many largest points going through employers is recruiting and retaining expert workers.
“Take a look at our public providers. Within the midst of a staffing disaster, well being, schooling and social care employees are leaving as a result of an absence of flexibility.
“This isn’t an remoted instance. Analysis revealed by the Constitution Institute of Skilled Growth final 12 months discovered that an estimated 4 million individuals have modified careers as a result of an absence of flexibility at work.
“Versatile working can deliver extra individuals again into the labour market and hold them there.”
Criticising the unhealthy religion nature of the assaults on versatile working, the organisations say:
“Some have tried to assert versatile working is nearly working from house.
“However there are there are a lot of totally different types of versatile working.
“For some individuals it means secure and predictable shift patterns to allow them to do the varsity run. For others it means compressed hours to permit for an additional day at house to take care of family members. And for some it’s a job share to permit time for research alongside work.
“That is about growing patterns of labor wanted for a contemporary financial system and a contemporary workforce.
“Versatile working is sweet for employees, good for employers and good for development.”
Commenting on the joint assertion, TUC Common Secretary Paul Nowak mentioned: “Versatile working – and specifically working from house – is being misrepresented to assault the federal government’s wider plan to Make Work Pay. It’s time we referred to as it out.
“Bettering entry to versatile working will profit employees and companies, whether or not it’s by means of growing workers productiveness or increased retention. And the identical is true of enhancing employees’ rights throughout the piece.
“When individuals really feel safe and revered at work, they’ve happier, more healthy lives and carry out higher of their jobs.”
Jemima Olchawski, Fawcett Society Chief Govt, mentioned: “Now we have to ask who advantages from parroting the fallacy that versatile working and versatile employees are unhealthy for enterprise – it’s simply nonsense.
“What actually holds development again is inflexible, outdated work practices that exclude ladies, older employees, and people managing well being circumstances.
“Providing versatile working choices will increase the expertise pool and allows extra individuals to work.
“Whereas which will threaten those that are blissful to take care of the established order, it might solely be good for our financial system. We have to see all jobs marketed as versatile by default.”
Victoria Benson, Chief Govt of Gingerbread, mentioned: “Too many single dad and mom are locked out of the workforce or caught in jobs beneath their ability degree due to quaint, rigid working patterns.
“Employers who don’t supply versatile working are lacking out on an untapped pool of expertise and single dad and mom are lacking out on jobs.
“We have to see single dad and mom supported to thrive at work – not simply because it’s good for them and their kids however as a result of it’s good for employers and our financial system, too.”
The complete assertion reads:
It’s time to cease the witch-hunt towards versatile working.
In latest weeks, we now have seen relentless scare-mongering about how new laws on versatile working will hurt UK companies and productiveness.
These warnings couldn’t be farther from the reality.
There are 800,000 fewer individuals within the workforce than earlier than the pandemic, and one of many largest points going through employers is recruiting and retaining expert workers.
Take a look at our public providers. Within the midst of a staffing disaster, well being, schooling and social care employees are leaving as a result of an absence of flexibility.
This isn’t an remoted instance. Analysis revealed by the Chartered Institute of Skilled Growth final 12 months discovered that an estimated 4 million individuals have modified careers as a result of an absence of flexibility at work.
Versatile working can deliver extra individuals again into the labour market and hold them there.
Many companies already recognise the advantages versatile working can deliver to their workforces and firms, whether or not it’s by means of growing workers productiveness or increased retention.
There are clear mutual advantages from permitting individuals to steadiness their skilled and private commitments – let’s not lose sight of them.
Some have tried to assert versatile working is nearly working from house.
However there are there are a lot of totally different types of versatile working.
For some individuals it means secure and predictable shift patterns to allow them to do the varsity run. For others it means compressed hours to permit for an additional day at house to take care of family members. And for some it’s a job share to permit time for research alongside work.
That is about growing patterns of labor wanted for a contemporary financial system and a contemporary workforce.
Versatile working is sweet for employees, good for employers and good for development.
The federal government ought to embrace it, and we help the federal government’s ambition to make versatile working the default from day one for all employees.
Paul Nowak, Common Secretary, TUC
Anna Whitehouse, Founder, Flex Attraction
Jemima Olchawski, Chief Govt, the Fawcett Society
Caroline Abraham, Charity Director, Age UK
Lauren Fabianski, Head of Campaigns and Communications, Pregnant Then Screwed
Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director, Ladies’s Finances Group
Elliott Rae, Founder, Parenting Out Loud & Music Soccer Fatherhood
Sarah Lambert, Head of Coverage and Campaigns, Gingerbread
Claire Campbell, CEO, Timewise
Claire Reindorp, CEO, Younger Ladies’s Belief
Kathy Jones, CEO, Fatherhood Institute
Judith Dennis, Head of Coverage, Maternity Motion
Jo Dainow, Trustee, Lengthy Covid Assist
Simon Kelleher, Head of Coverage and Influencing, Working Households
– Concerning the TUC: The Trades Union Congress (TUC) exists to make the working world a greater place for everybody. We deliver collectively the 5.5 million working individuals who make up our 48 member unions. We help unions to develop and thrive, and we get up for everybody who works for a residing.
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