Flexible working is one of the buzz topics of the employment world right now, with leading figures among the coalition government – among them home secretary Theresa May and business secretary Vince Cable – having spoken out supportively in recent months.
Yet, earlier this year, the coalition was thwarted in its ambition to extend the right to request flexible working to all parents of children aged 17 and under, due to opposition from many of the smaller firms constituting the vast majority of the UK's employers, already struggling to cope in tough economic conditions.
With the government seemingly having abandoned its plans to legislate in this area for the time being, the tactic seems now to create a climate of support for the principle of flexible working which, in the long term, will bear a natural pressure on employers to accommodate it among their workforces.
Cable is a particular fan, having pointed out recently that it can lead "to employees taking less time off and being more committed to companies, as well as allowing employers to tap into a wider talent base in society".
Even for those employees who can claim flexible working, other unsolved problems remain, not least around the issue of career progression. A new report by Friends Life, for example, reveals that 88% of working women think they should be allowed to reduce their hours for the sake of their family without it affecting their career prospects.
Have you adjusted your working pattern around family caring arrangements, only to find your career progression path was subsequently hindered? Could your employer could have done more to help? And if you're an employer or an employee, is it reasonable for parents working flexibly to expect the same career prospects as those who work full-time?
