Flexible working offers "real benefits" to companies as well as employees, the business secretary has said. Jonathan Reynolds told the BBC the government would introduce statutory guidance on when firms can refuse workers permission to work flexibly.
The comments were made as Labour unveiled its Employments Rights Bill, which includes 28 measures and has been described as the "biggest upgrade to rights at work for a generation".
The changes in workers' rights include bosses having to consider flexible working requests on day one - and saying yes unless they can prove it is unreasonable. But Mr Reynolds said there would be "clear statutory guidance" provided to businesses and grounds upon which they can demonstrate flexible working is not possible.
“So that might mean you have to train junior members of staff, it might be that you have management responsibilities," he told the BBC. “But it will be straightforward and of course we should always recognise where this can be agreed between an employer and employee.
“There are real business benefits and benefits for the employee of that flexibility, keeping more people in work for longer, having more people in the labour market, so those are good things. But of course, we are not going to dictate, it doesn’t work for everyone, but the process will be improved by this legislation.”]
Other changes in the bill include the right to unpaid parental leave from day one and statutory sick leave from the first day on the job. Zero-hours contracts will also be abolished under the plans and large businesses will be required to create action plans on addressing gender pay gaps.
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner said: "The Ƶ’s out-of-date employment laws are holding our country back and failing business and workers alike. Our plans to make work pay will deliver security in work as the foundation for boosting productivity and growing our economy to make working people better off and realise our potential.
"Too many people are drawn into a race to the bottom, denied the security they need to raise a family while businesses are unable to retain the workers they need to grow. We’re raising the floor on rights at work to deliver a stronger, fairer and brighter future of work for Britain."
The boss of business organisation CBI said politicians and businesses have a "shared goal" in wanting to raise living standards - but added a number of "critical details" were still subject to consultation.
“The government deserves credit for its willingness to engage with businesses and unions on how to make a success of the Plan to Make Work Pay," said chief executive Rain Newton-Smith.
“It’s that willingness to work together that can ensure we find the right landing zone and improve living standards by avoiding the unintended consequences that businesses have warned against."
She added: "It’s important the government builds on the good engagement to date to ensure we get the detail right on this decisive piece of legislation.”
