flexible-workingFlexible working is a good thing. It enables people to balance work and life - especially when they have children - and allows firms to keep talent and experience in the workplace.

But this new “right” over flexible working is nothing of the sort:

The right to request flexible working is to be extended to about 4.5 million parents of children aged up to 16.

Under the current rules the opportunity is limited to parents whose children are under six or disabled. (BBC)

“The right to request flexible working is to be extended.” How is this anything new? I already have the right to request flexible working from my employer. I can ask all I like, and they have the right to say “no” to me. Just as they still will be able to say no to these 4.5 million parents included under these proposals.

So it is just a gimmick, designed to grab a few headlines and make Brown look “family friendly”. It’s certainly not a serious proposal, as it does bugger-all.

Of course, had they gone any further and said that anyone has the right to work flexibly that would have been even worse. Though it is undoubtedly how many will read or assume it is meant to be read. Firms must have the ability to say no to requests for flexible working if it will harm them or make it hard for the rest of the team/business to do it’s job.

So this announcement is just a load of hot air - especially when “more than 90% of requests for flexible working were approved by employers last year,” meaning that employers are taking on their responsibilities already, without the government doing anything. So the government should stay out of it.