UK 
United States
The Flexible Working Bill has received Royal Assent and is now law. Campaigners celebrate - but what do HR leaders need to know about it, and what can they do to implement it?
While you might think remote work is synonymous with flexible work, the office official description of the Flexible Working Bill reads: A Bill to make provision in relation to the right of employees and other workers to request variations to particular terms and conditions of employment, including working hours, times and locations.
- Big Interview | VP of HR, ASICS: Brian Cox, desk breaks, & creating a culture of employee wellbeing
- Banter? | Strictly Come Dancing star accused of using slur against epileptic colleague
- World Mental Health Day | Prioritising mental health in the workplace
- Mandate vs mindset | Why HR should use Labour's employment rights bill as a springboard to go beyond statutory requirements
- Mental Health First Aid | Supporting an employee suffering a mental health crisis at work
The concept of flexible working typically refers to arrangements that allow employees to have more control over their work hours, location, and schedule. This can include options like remote work, compressed workweeks, job-sharing, and flexible start and finish times. These arrangements aim to provide a better work-life balance for employees and may also benefit employers by increasing productivity and employee satisfaction.
To be clear, the only job we reckon can’t be done flexibly - core hours, job shares, ward-led rostering, part time, working from home, compressed hours - is on an oil rig.
It might bring to mind the idea of working remotely - especially post-pandemic. But the idea of flexible working is much more than that. It's about how and when we work, too. The bill has come about after nearly 10 years of campaigning by Anna Whitehouse, who founded the Flex Appeal movement in 2015.
