So, the government have given all UK employees the right to request time off for training. They’ve also given parents of children up to 16 the right to request flexible working. This is in addition to parents of disabled children and carers of elderly and vulnerable adults, who already have the right to request variable hours and flexibility.
How generous – all these people given the “right to request” good things – and the employers can’t complain, because they have the right to turn the request down!
Everyone’s happy, so why not extend the concept a little further? The right to request a pay rise, perhaps? The right to request extra holiday? The right to request gym membership? The possibilities are endless.
The truth is that everybody already has the right to request anything they like. What is important is how employers respond to that request. And an employer’s response won’t normally be dependent on the age of that person’s child or the other details of their home life – it will depend on the dynamics of their team.
Because here’s the thing: not everybody can work flexibly. For everyone working part-time or from home, there’s someone tied to their desk in the office answering the phones. Neither can everybody have regular time off, even if it is for something as worthy as a college course.
In recent years, bosses have been increasingly prepared to be reasonable when faced with parents who want to work part-time to accommodate small children. The government’s legislation seems to be predicated on the idea that there are others queuing up to be treated in a similar way - only they are too scared to ask. So they wait for good old Gordon to come along and give them the right.
But are we talking about rights or privileges? If you have the right to something, you don’t have to request it – you expect it. A privilege, on the other hand, is something you are granted.
A line has to be drawn somewhere, and the government’s legislation still allows employers to be the ones to draw it. So don’t be fooled, if you get to work flexibly, don’t thank the government for giving you the right – it’s your employer who has given you the privilege.