Clause 30 - Flexible working
Employment Relations Bill
10:15 am
Mr Jonathan Djanogly (Huntingdon, Conservative)
As he says, he will not be surprised.
This is another clause that increases the burden of regulation on business. In this case, the qualifying period of one year's continuous employment is reduced to 26 weeks for making an unfair dismissal claim in respect of the right to request flexible working. That must be put in the context of what has happened with unfair dismissal. The Government have reduced the two-year qualifying period to one year, increased the maximum award available and included part-time workers. They are now stretching unfair dismissal to requests for flexible work. The changes have been introduced through separate legislation, one by one, and the ratchet is turned again in this case. It raises the question of what is next in line for unfair dismissal. One has the feeling that this is not the end of the matter.