New working from home rules explained as Andy Burnham plans huge changes for Brits
Andy Burnham has vowed to help those who work from home, with new Government guidelines and rules published to better protect home workers.
The Prime Minister wants to stop employers from forcing workers to come into the office as part of plans to make remote working easier for Brits.
This will involve looking to tighten rules around businesses calling for mandatory in-person work, with a study revealing how flexible working hours are ‘more important than pay’ for top managers.
The government is bringing forward the reforms, with the changes expected to come into force in 2027.
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Earlier this week, First Secretary of State Louise Haigh told the annual Trade Union Congress (TUC) that the government would make it tougher for employers to prevent staff from working from home by making sure businesses are demonstrating they 'properly' weigh up a worker's request to work from home before turning it down.
Ms Haigh said she plans to 'strengthen the right to flexible working', adding: “Life isn’t always as neat as we’d like to be, or as employers would like it to be.
“There’s kids to pick up, parents to look after, families who rely on us at short notice, and sometimes a little bit of flexibility can make all the difference.
Now, I know that businesses have to make things work too, not every job can be done from home, and not every request can be agreed. But every request can and should be taken seriously.
“So, today I’m pleased to announce that we will strengthen the right to flexible working. If an employer wants to turn down a request, they will have to sit down with their employee, properly consider it, and explain why.
"That is what putting power back into the hands of working people looks like."
The new rules mean that should an employer turn down a flexible or home working request, they will need to give a proper reason as to why.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak welcomed Ms Haigh’s address, explaining: “The Government is right to recognise the importance of flexible working.
"Anyone with kids or caring responsibilities knows that being able to work flexibly isn’t just a perk – it’s a lifeline.
“That’s why this move is a welcome step forward. It makes it harder for employers to turn down requests while giving workers a stronger voice in the process.
“Improving access to flexible working benefits workers, businesses and the economy – whether it’s through increasing staff productivity or higher retention.”
Under existing UK employment rules, employees can ask for flexible working arrangements and can make up to two statutory requests in any 12-month period which must be responded to and completed within two months of the request being made.
Flexible working can include changing your hours, start or finish times, days of work or your place of work.
However employers can reject a request based on statutory business grounds including impact on performance, inability to reorganise work, or customer demand.
Defending her plans, Ms Haigh added: “When you get those two things together, you get something else.
"Power over your future, the freedom to plan, the freedom to make choices, the freedom to look beyond the end of the month and start looking to the years ahead.
"To believe life can get better, that your children can do better, and that the place you call home can have a better future too. That is how we bring back hope.”
James Holt