Press Release
CIPD welcome Walsh review and support for best practice beyond the extended legislative minimum
15 May 2008
Responding to the publication today (Thursday) of Imelda Walsh’s review and recommendations to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older children, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has issued a warm welcome for the report.
In addition to extending the right to request, the report will also recommend the Government to give more support to promote flexible working practices. Many firms have been going further than the statutory requirement for some time, and can demonstrate tangible benefits in terms of employee engagement, recruitment and retention as a result.
Mike Emmott, CIPD Employee Relations Adviser, said: “Imelda Walsh’s careful and thorough review has already been welcomed by the Prime Minister. Her recommendation to extend the right to request flexible working will also be welcomed by working parents across the country. And despite the objections from some in the business lobby, it will not be opposed by many in business.
"Our research shows that part-time and flexible workers are happier, more engaged with their work, and therefore likely to perform better and be more productive. And in a tight labour market, flexible working is part of the package that can help recruit and retain the talent organisations need to deliver their objectives. It is therefore unsurprising that a great many employers, large and small, go well beyond the legislative minimums and allow employees to work flexibly regardless of their family status.
"We remain concerned that businesses who stick to the legislative minimum on the right to request may begin to see the emergence of a divide in the workplace between the flexible working haves and have-nots. The danger with ever larger groups of people entitled to request flexible working, and a smaller number not entitled to do so, is that a sense of unfairness will damage the employment relations climate and business performance.
"In this context, we welcome the recommendation that the Government should better assist those businesses that need more support, so as to reassure managers who are nervous about their ability to manage a flexible workforce. We have discussed this proposal with Imelda Walsh, and would be happy to help in promoting the good practice developed by the growing number of employers who have voluntarily extended the right to request to all workers."
The CIPD produced a report on flexible working in small firms last summer, in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce. This report is an example of the kind of good practice that can be disseminated to employers to encourage further progress on flexible working, beyond legislative requirements.
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