As we highlighted in a previous article, National Working From Home Day 2021 took place on the 14th May 2021, as part of Work Wise Week 2021, which ran from the 9th May 2021 – 15th May 2021. To coincide with National Working From Home Day, the TUC released a report calling for a wider range of flexible working options to be offered to more people.
TUC Report Calls For Greater Range Of Flexible Working
In its new report, the TUC found that:-
- The number of employees working permanently from home may have increased from 6.7% in 2019, to 12.2% in 2020. Nevertheless, the TUC caution that "the 2020 figure [should not be viewed] as a definitive indicator. It relies on self-reporting in an unusual year with high rates of enforced home working. And many workers remain uncertain of the future policy in their workplace....[Nevertheless,] all indications point to working from home and hybrid working being significantly higher after the pandemic than before."
- There is a risk of a new class divide developing between those who were able to work from home during the covid-19 pandemic, who will finding it easier to work flexibly in the future, compared with those who were not able to work from home
- The TUC argue that there is more to flexible working than just working from home, and that a greater range of flexible working options should be made available to more employees. They state that: "Flexible working is not just working from home, but also includes other non-traditional working patterns, such as having predictable or fixed hours, working as a job-share, or working flexitime, term-time only hours, annualised hours or compressed hours. Many of these options would suit workers who have to work from workplaces, and should be on offer for them."
No Employment Bill In Queens Speech
It was widely expected that the much anticipated Employment Bill would be included within the Queen's Speech, and that it would include provisions on flexible working. However, as the TUC noted within their report, there was no Employment Bill. The BBC reported that: "Downing Street said an Employment Bill would be introduced "when the time is right", citing the pandemic as the reason for the delay."
Nevertheless, Frances O'Grady, the TUC general secretary, stated: "We can’t build back better from this crisis unless we improve pay and conditions at work. But the government has rowed back on its promised boost to workers’ rights by not bringing forward its long overdue employment bill. This pandemic has brutally exposed the terrible working conditions and insecurity many of our key workers in retail, care, and delivery face. We need action now to deal with the scourge of insecure work – not more dithering and delay."
Flexible Working An Important Part Of The Mix For Future Working Patterns
The Chief Executive of Work Wise UK (which organises National Working From Home Day), Phil Flaxton, agrees that a wide range of flexible working will play an integral part in future working patterns. He states: "As the UK emerges from lockdown the way we work may change. Will we end presenteeism, reduce commuting, use designated workspaces in homes, or make hybrid working across workplaces and homes the norm? National Work from Home Day provides an opportunity for employers to start conversations with their staff on future ways of working. Working people need a say on what works for them – and what doesn’t. If their needs are respected, it could really help healthy changes that benefit the whole working population."
Mr Flaxton adds: "New approaches cannot be ‘one size fits all’. Employers, trade unions and the government must work together to ensure that those who cannot work remotely are not excluded from modern flexible working. The pandemic has reminded us all how fragile we are, along with our everyday activity like working structures too. Change can happen fast and from surprising directions. This should be a period of reflection for us all, while we still have time to plan a better world of work after the pandemic."
