The Future of Flexible Work
The Future of Flexible Work: a TUC report – A Summary
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has produced a report on the future of flexible work.
- Flexible working is beneficial for both workers and employers. It can allow people to balance their work and home lives, is important in promoting equality at work and can lead to improved recruitment and retention of workers.
- Not only is there an increasing desire to adopt flexible working practices, continuing social distancing has necessitated flexible working.
- Throughout the pandemic, flexible working has been limited to a third of the workforce. Those who have worked from home are more likely to be in higher paid occupations and from London and the Southeast. As a result, flexible working has exposed class and geographical inequalities in the national workforce.
- As we look to life after the pandemic, we cannot continue to only offer flexible working to the minority of the workforce who are able to work from home because this only reinforces existing inequalities. Therefore, we need to introduce ways to make flexible working more accessible, ensuring its benefits are felt by a larger proportion of the workforce.
TUC Recommendations for the Government
- Take steps to ensure that workers do not experience worse terms and conditions or negative impacts on their health and well-being by introducing a statutory right for employees and workers to disconnect from their work so as to create “communication free” time in their lives.
- Act to eliminate false ‘’flexibility’’ that is driven by employers through eliminating zero hours contracts, by giving workers the right to a contract that reflects their regular hours.
TUC Recommendations for Employers
- Adopt flexibility by default. Employers should include what flexibility is available when advertising for a new role and this should set out the types of flexibility available rather than include a generalised statement.
- Review existing flexible work policies. In consultation with recognised trade unions, employers should review, publish or amend their existing flexible working practices.
Recommendations for Trade Unions
- Trade unions should work with employers to review flexible working policies and practices and should negotiate for increased access to flexible working. Trade unions play a vital role to ensure the needs of employers and preferences of staff are reconciled through constructive dialogue and negotiation.
Risks of Increased Home Working
- The nature of home working gives the illusion that workers are available constantly and encourages digital presenteeism. This is inherently problematic for a healthy work – life balance
- Another risk of home working is the risk of surveillance of workers in their homes. Artificial intelligence powered tools are now used at all stages of the employment relationship, from recruitment to line management to dismissal. Surveillance and monitoring of workers in their homes is likely to be unlawful, in breach of data protection legislation and infringement of a worker’s right to privacy.
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