§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to ensure that workers who take up flexible working options do not suffer from(a) poor career prospects and (b) poor job security [146947]
§ Mr. SutcliffeAccording to the Labour Force Survey Spring 2003, 5.5 million employees work through some form of flexible working arrangement—equivalent to 22 per cent. of employees.
The Department surveyed employers and employees on work-life balance in January 2003, and specifically addressed the issues of job security and progression: 700W
The study of employers revealed that they largely reject the notion that flexible working can have an adverse impact on an employee's chances of promotion. Three-quarters (74 per cent.) of employers agreed that people who work flexibly are just as likely to be promoted as those that do not, while 15 per cent. neither agreed nor disagreed or did not know. The study of employees has only preliminary findings currently available, which can be found on the Internet (www.dti.gov.uk/er/emar/). We expect to publish the full report soon.The Government are seeking to affect a culture change in the workplace where flexible working is seen as the norm and there is no question of poor career prospects or job security. We are looking to do this in two main ways:
Through the DTI's Work-Life Balance Campaign we are encouraging employers to offer flexible working opportunities across the workforce. In April 2003 a new law giving parents the right to request flexible working was introduced, placing a statutory duty on employers to consider the request seriously. This was targeted legislation for parents of young and disabled children as they face particular challenges.The DTI is collecting evidence from a number of sources to monitor the impact of its action to promote flexible working practices:
We continue to work with key intermediaries, such as Working Families and Maternity Alliance, who are collating data through member/supporter surveys. The Department has commissioned questions specifically relating to job security and progression which currently appear in the Office of National Statistics' Omnibus survey. The results of these are due in spring 2004. To provide a direct comparison over time, it is planned that both Work-Life Balance surveys will be repeated in 2005.The information collected will contribute towards the review of the flexible working law that the Government have said will begin in 2006. This provides time for the legislation to bed down and have effect, alongside the on-going promotion of best practice. Collected information will also provide early warning of any problems or unintended consequences associated to flexible working and for the development of future policy.
§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how her Department plans to promote flexible working, with particular reference to male workers. [146948]
§ Mr. SutcliffeIn addition to the detail I provided in my answer to my hon. Friend on 5 December 2003,Official Report, column 446W, I can confirm that as part of the on-going awareness raising campaign, adverts specifically targeting fathers are appearing in national newspapers throughout January, covering news and sport sections, with another burst of activity planned for March.
The Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund has also recently supported projects promoting flexible working in oil and engineering companies, which are traditionally considered to be male dominated industrial sectors.