FLEXIBLE working should become the “new normal” after the experience during the coronavirus pandemic, Labour has said.
With millions moving to home working almost overnight in March 2020 in response to the first national coronavirus lockdown, the Opposition party is calling for the right to flexible working to be made mandatory in all jobs to ensure that “work fits around people’s lives instead of dictating their lives”.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the concept would not just be about allowing people to work from home but should also include flexible, compressed, staggered or annualised hours.
The idea is to allow people to spend less time commuting and spend more time with their families in future.
There should be employer leniency around school runs and other family and caring responsibilities, including childcare during school holidays, the shadow secretary for the future of work said.
Labour has placed renewed emphasis on workers’ rights in a bid to appeal to its lost voters, and previously announced it would extend sick pay eligibility if it was in Government.
READ MORE: Gig economy workers sick pay plans under Labour revealed
Officials pointed to the pledge in the last Conservative manifesto, committing to consulting on making flexible working the “default unless employers have good reasons not to”, and argued it had broken its promise by failing to bring forward a review.
Speaking before a visit to Yorkshire to announce the policy, Ms Rayner said: “Flexible working is not just about working from home, it is about a fundamental change to working practices to improve the lives of all working people.
“Flexible working means work fitting around people’s lives, not dictating their lives.
“Labour will make flexible working a force for good so that everyone is able to enjoy the benefits of flexible working, from a better work-life balance to less time commuting and more time with their family.
“The ‘new normal’ after this pandemic must mean a new deal for all working people based on flexibility, security and strengthened rights at work.
“The right to flexible working will change our economy and the world of work for the better, stop women losing out at work or even dropping out of the workforce altogether, end the sexist assumption of dad being at work in the office and mum looking after the kids at home and improve the lives of millions of workers.”
A UK Government spokeswoman said: “We have always been clear that flexible working means a lot more than just working from home, and covers a range of working arrangements including part-time working, flexi-time, and compressed hours.
“These arrangements can improve productivity and boost work life balance which is why the 2019 manifesto already contains a clear commitment to consulting on making flexible working the default unless employers have good reason not to.”
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