Workers Get Flexible Hours Extension

More than 20 million employees could benefit from flexible working hours.

From today the right - which was previously only available for carers or people looking after children - is extended to all workers.

It is expected the new right will be of particular interest to older workers who want to work differently as they approach retirement and to young people entering the labour market who may want take up additional training or learning while they work.

As part of the right, employees can expect their request to be considered in a reasonable manner by employers – this will be much simpler than the previous burdensome process businesses had to undergo before making a decision.

Critics fear the move will create extra red tape for companies.

Employers can only refuse a request on the following grounds:

• Burden of additional costs
• Detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand
• Inability to reorganise work among existing staff
• Inability to recruit additional staff
• Detrimental impact on quality
• Detrimental impact on performance
• Insufficiency of work during the periods the employee proposes to work
• Planned structural change

Fife MSP and Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Willie Rennie