Action on flexible working

Dear Secretary of State Kwasi Kwarteng MP

Cc Paul Scully MP

We are writing in support of the Flex For All campaign’s call for stronger rights to flexible working.

The Flex For All campaign is calling for greater access to flexible working for everyone. Eight in ten working people in Britain want to work flexibly, but one in three requests are denied. 

We call on the government to bring forward primary legislation through an employment bill to strengthen rights in a way that makes genuine flexible working the default for workers in the UK. And where flexible working opportunities are effectively communicated to job seekers - thereby widening access to recruitment to mums and dads, disabled workers, carers, women and older workers.

A lack of flexible working is a contributing factor to the gender pay gap and disability employment and pay gaps. Increased access would help older people stay in work longer and help parents and carers return to and stay in work. We believe in order to unlock the flexibility in every job and for every worker, we need an advertising duty.

Finally, it’s good for the economy. Research commissioned by MotherPukka forecasts that a 50% increase in current flexible working rates could result in the creation of 51,200 new jobs and a net economic gain of £55billion.

Flexible working is beneficial for workers, for employers and for our economy, making it an essential part of building back better after the pandemic.

We urge the government to bring forward primary legislation through an employment bill to deliver meaningful change on flexible working rights in the UK.

Sincerely,

Alison McGovern MP

Anneliese Dodds MP

Apsana Begum MP

Barbara Keeley MP

Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP

Cat Smith MP

Charlotte Nichols MP

Claudia Webbe MP

Darren Jones MP

Emma Hardy MP

George Howarth MP

Geraint Davies MP

Grahame Morris MP

Harriet Harman MP

Ian Byrne MP

Ian Lavery MP

Imran Hussain MP

John McDonnell MP

Justin Madders MP

Kate Osamor MP

Kate Osborne MP

Kim Johnson MP

Kirsten Oswald MP

Liz Twist MP

Lord John Hendy

Margaret Greenwood MP

Marion Fellows MP

Marsha de Cordova MP

Mary Foy MP

Mohammad Yasin MP

Nadia Whittome MP

Neale Hanvey MP

Paula Barker MP

Rachael Maskell MP

Rachel Hopkins MP

Richard Burgon MP

Sarah Champion MP

Stella Creasy MP

Stephen Timms MP

Stuart McDonald MP

Tony Lloyd MP