Could
a small business ever really guarantee part-time work for new parents following
family friendly leave? Probably
not!
Guaranteeing
part-time work for returning parents from maternity, paternity or adoption
leave is one step to enhance your brand’s image. However the reality is very
few businesses could ever actually follow HSBC’s recent announcement in the
same vein.
The HR
Dept receives plenty of calls about handling requests for flexible working following
a working parent returning to the workplace. Employees have a statutory right
to make a flexible working request and have it considered, in line with
statutory procedures, but not for it to be accepted by the employer. If it is
rejected, the reasons for grounds for the refusal are strict.
It is
the employee who must put forward a suggestion for a flexible working pattern,
outlining its impact and how it could be handled. Flexible working requests and
their scope can be broad, such as;
- Working less than normal days and or fewer
days
- Times of work could change – flexi-time for
example
- Job sharing
- Home working
The
problems (tribunal claims) that arise from flexible working request cases are
mostly due to the failure to communicate properly and the failure to follow the
statutory procedure, not necessarily because it was rejected on genuine
grounds.
There
are varying different views in the media so we thought we would share them with
you:
The HR
Dept’s top tips:
- Get advice on how to handle flexible working requests from the onset
- Remember that it is someone's right to make a flexible working request, but not a right to have it accepted
- Explore all options when considering the request
- Always be fair and consistent
