Reform proposals – flexible working

In its consultation paper: Good Work Plan, Proposals to support families, the May government consulted on two main ways of encouraging more flexible working.

• Advertising jobs as “flexible by default” unless the employer has a good business reason not to allow this, to be included in a new Employment Bill “when parliamentary time allows”; and

• Publishing parental (family leave) policies.

In practice, the short- and medium-term changes required to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic are likely to have a lasting impact on work organisation, including more working from home, where jobs allow this, staggered working hours to support social distancing at work and avoiding "rush hours" on public transport (see also page 524: Privacy and data protection during the Coronavirus pandemic).