Acas – 7 out of 10 workers are unaware of recent regulation adjustments to versatile working

A brand new survey from Acas has discovered that seven out of ten workers (70%) aren’t conscious that the regulation is altering to make it simpler to request versatile working at work.

The YouGov ballot was performed in January this yr and located that 43% of employers had been additionally unaware of the regulation change.

All workers who’ve labored for his or her employer for 26 weeks or extra at present have the appropriate to ask if they’ll work flexibly. A brand new change within the regulation will make this a proper that applies from the primary day of employment from 6 April 2024.

Acas has produced a revised Code of Follow on requests for versatile working to help employers and workers via this alteration and different reforms, which might be launched on the identical time on 6 April 2024.

Acas Chief Government, Susan Clews, stated:

“Our new findings reveal that the majority workers and greater than two in 5 employers are unaware of the brand new upcoming regulation adjustments to versatile working.

“These new adjustments might be coming into pressure subsequent week and it’s important for bosses and employees to be ready. Versatile working can carry many advantages in workplaces and the beginning place needs to be to contemplate what could also be potential.

“Acas has ready a brand new statutory Code of Follow that may come into impact on 6 April, which addresses the adjustments and units out good observe on versatile working requests.”

The day one proper to request versatile working will come into pressure on 6 April 2024. Further reforms to the regulation on versatile working which can be outlined within the Employment Relations (Versatile Working) Act 2023 will come into pressure on the identical time.

Acas has ready a Code of Follow on requests for versatile working, which incorporates info on:

• Who needs to be allowed to accompany an worker at conferences to debate a versatile working request
• The necessity for transparency about causes for rejecting a request
• Making it clear that employers ought to proactively supply an attraction the place a request has been rejected.

A preview of the brand new Code that might be printed subsequent week might be seen at: www.acas.org.uk/flexibleworking