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Bosses 'can say no' to flexible work requests

Published On 30 May 2007 at 16:12:02

The bosses at the UK's small and medium-sized enterprises should not be afraid to refuse their staff's requests for more flexible working arrangements if they believe they will harm business.

That's the opinion of a leading legal expenses insurer, DAS, whose spokesperson said that SME bosses still have some power to refuse staff demands for practices such as home working and staggered start times.

"The laws clearly favour employees," explained Rhian Gait-Parker, DAS' advice services manager. "Yet there is often confusion between actual rights and the requirement for employers to reasonably consider requests.

"By following the correct procedures, employers may still turn down such requests if they can show an appropriate business reason."

According to the firm, recent changes to the UK's law mean that more than 2.7 million workers - including many employed at SMEs - are now eligible to ask for flexible working arrangements to help them care for parents, partners and children.

However, the Forum of Private Businesses (FPB) recently claimed that regulations - such as the new paternity leave rules - would harm SMEs as they are unlikely to easily find short-term replacement staff.

"Good business owners recognise the need for flexibility in the workplace and are willing to find solutions," explained the FPB's campaigns manager, Victoria Carson.

"However, so far the government has failed to understand that different types of companies have varying degrees of flexibility, one rule cannot be applied to them all because some will undoubtedly lose out as a consequence."

 

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