It seems that the work-from-anywhere workforce is here to stay in the UK for the foreseeable future, given the ongoing risks of further Covid variants and waves of infection, coupled with skills shortages in many industries. That’s only because many employers have chosen to allow some form of remote working to continue after the relaxation of lockdown restrictions. Not all organisations have done so – and employees have very few legal rights to demand that they offer such flexibility.
Although it was introduced in late 2019, the employment bill that’s currently before Parliament is unlikely to be enacted any time soon, as it wasn’t mentioned in the latest Queen’s Speech. But, once the changes proposed within it are finally in the statute book, could this give employees more of a say in where and when they work?
A significant change that’s been under consideration during the bill’s consultation period is to allow recruits to request flexible working from the start of their employment. At present, only employees with at least 26 weeks’ continuous service have the legal right to ask their employer to provide it.