Flexible Working (Hansard, 15 June 2004)

§ Helen Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the merits of allowing employment tribunals to test the business case for the refusal of a request for flexible working; and if she will make a statement. [178115]

§ Mr. Sutcliffe
The flexible working law was designed by the Work and Parents Taskforce to be light-touch and is based on employer best practice. In translating the Taskforce proposals into legislation, the Government accepted their recommendation on handling unresolved requests. As the law currently operates, the facts on which the business case is based can be contested in an employment tribunal, as long as the appeal stage has been exhausted.
Since its introduction in April 2003, we have been constantly monitoring the impact of the law. We are committed to not making any changes to the laws for working parents until after their impact is reviewed in 2006. We continue to work with stakeholders and intermediaries, as well as engaging the views of both employers and parents directly to build up a strong evidence base for the review.

§ Helen Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many requests for flexible working from(a) women and (b) men were for (i) shorter working hours and (ii) compressed working hours. [178116]

§ Mr. Sutcliffe
The DTI published results of the first flexible working employee survey in April 2004. The survey reported the types of flexible working requested by male and female employees since the introduction of the new employment rights in April 2003. 819W

Table A4—Types of flexible working requested (percentage)

Male employees Female employees All employees

Part-time 31 41 38

Flexitime 30 23 25

Reduced hours for a limited period ¹— 12 13

Work from home on a regular basis 17 ¹— 10

Compressed working week ¹— ¹— 8

¹ Sample size too small for a reliable estimate. Percentage of those employees surveyed who had requested flexible working.

Notes:

1. Respondents could give multiple responses.

2. Respondents also stated other types of flexible working, but sample sizes were too small to report above.

3. All employees who requested flexible working since April 2003. Total of 456 employee responses.

Source:

ONS Omnibus Survey, September to November 2003 and February 2004.

In total an estimated 56,000 men and 294,000 women have requested shorter working hours, although the sample size was not large enough to include the number of men requesting reduced hours for a limited period, so this has not been included.
The sample sizes were too small to reliably estimate the number of women or men requesting compressed working hours.

Table A4—Types of flexible working requested (percentage)
	Male employees	Female employees	All employees
Part-time	31	41	38
Flexitime	30	23	25
Reduced hours for a limited period	¹—	12	13
Work from home on a regular basis	17	¹—	10
Compressed working week	¹—	¹—	8
¹ Sample size too small for a reliable estimate. Percentage of those employees surveyed who had requested flexible working.
Notes:
1. Respondents could give multiple responses.
2. Respondents also stated other types of flexible working, but sample sizes were too small to report above.
3. All employees who requested flexible working since April 2003. Total of 456 employee responses.
Source:
ONS Omnibus Survey, September to November 2003 and February 2004.