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| UK staff 'denied flexible work' | UK staff 'denied flexible work' |
| (19 minutes later) | |
| UK companies lag behind their European counterparts in offering flexible working, a report has suggested. | |
| This has left many people stuck in a culture of fixed hours and office "presenteeism", the Equal Opportunities Commission study says. | This has left many people stuck in a culture of fixed hours and office "presenteeism", the Equal Opportunities Commission study says. |
| Of 8,000 firms quizzed, 90% in mainland Europe made flexitime available, compared with 48% in the UK. | |
| Conservative leader David Cameron and Labour deputy leader contender Harriet Harman are backing a change in the law. | |
| Only one in five UK firms gave staff chances to work away from the office. | Only one in five UK firms gave staff chances to work away from the office. |
| TYPES OF FLEXIBLE WORKERS Timelords: People such as writers and researchers who largely control their hoursShift-shaper:Workers with shift patterns such as nursesTime-stretchers:Those who control their hours e.g. decoratorsRemote-controllers:People with set hours but can control where they work Source: EOC | TYPES OF FLEXIBLE WORKERS Timelords: People such as writers and researchers who largely control their hoursShift-shaper:Workers with shift patterns such as nursesTime-stretchers:Those who control their hours e.g. decoratorsRemote-controllers:People with set hours but can control where they work Source: EOC |
| This was half as many as in nations such as Germany and Denmark. | This was half as many as in nations such as Germany and Denmark. |
| Mr Cameron will help launch the report on Thursday. | |
| Engaged staff | Engaged staff |
| Everyone from cleaners to top executives could benefit from more flexible working, according to the EOC's chairwoman, Jenny Watson. But she said the reality for most workers was "still presenteeism and long hours". | Everyone from cleaners to top executives could benefit from more flexible working, according to the EOC's chairwoman, Jenny Watson. But she said the reality for most workers was "still presenteeism and long hours". |
| "Flexible working is still too often seen as just a concession for parents and carers, and comes at the cost of poor pay and prospects," she said. | "Flexible working is still too often seen as just a concession for parents and carers, and comes at the cost of poor pay and prospects," she said. |
| "Extending the right to request flexible working to everyone is a crucial step towards breaking this stigma and making a new culture at work a reality." | "Extending the right to request flexible working to everyone is a crucial step towards breaking this stigma and making a new culture at work a reality." |
| The burden of proof should be on the employer to show why flexible working is not practical Harriet Harman | The burden of proof should be on the employer to show why flexible working is not practical Harriet Harman |
| Tele-working, shift-swapping and interim management were being offered by trailblazing management, Ms Watson added, which produced more engaged and productive staff. | Tele-working, shift-swapping and interim management were being offered by trailblazing management, Ms Watson added, which produced more engaged and productive staff. |
| "The time has now come for this innovation to spread across the workforce to reach the UK's 29 million workers," she said. | "The time has now come for this innovation to spread across the workforce to reach the UK's 29 million workers," she said. |
| 'Employers have rights' | 'Employers have rights' |
| Justice minister and Labour deputy leadership candidate Harriet Harman said the report highlighted the need for tough laws giving the right to flexible work, especially to those bringing up children and caring for older people. | |
| "It's not good enough just to ask employers to 'consider' a request. The burden of proof should be on the employer to show why flexible working is not practical," she said. | "It's not good enough just to ask employers to 'consider' a request. The burden of proof should be on the employer to show why flexible working is not practical," she said. |
| Director-general of the Institute of Directors, Miles Templeman, said 75% of his organisation's members had embraced flexible working and warned against regulation. | Director-general of the Institute of Directors, Miles Templeman, said 75% of his organisation's members had embraced flexible working and warned against regulation. |
| "Employers have rights too, but we want employers to be responsive so we need to communicate better the benefits of flexible working. | "Employers have rights too, but we want employers to be responsive so we need to communicate better the benefits of flexible working. |
| "Regulation has a poor record in both encouraging innovative practice and in producing solutions that do not have unintended consequences, discriminating against smaller businesses in particular." | "Regulation has a poor record in both encouraging innovative practice and in producing solutions that do not have unintended consequences, discriminating against smaller businesses in particular." |