The government will require employers in Britain to meet face to face with staff who ask for flexible working and to provide reasons if they reject such requests, the first secretary of state told a trade union conference on Tuesday.
Louise Haigh said firms would have to 'properly consider' proposed changes to hours or shift patterns and offer an in-person meeting to discuss the request. She announced the move while addressing delegates at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) annual gathering.
The change is being presented as a workers' rights reform intended to strengthen the process by which flexible working requests are handled. Under the announced measures, employers would be expected not only to consider requests but also to justify their decisions when they decline them.
Supporters of stronger flexible working protections argue that more formal requirements will help employees balance work and caring responsibilities and reduce disputes over shift patterns. Employers have previously been able to refuse requests on a range of business grounds; the minister's remarks indicate an intention to make the consideration and refusal process more transparent.
The government has framed the announcement as part of a wider agenda on workplace rights presented to the TUC. Officials did not immediately provide further details on implementation timetables or enforcement mechanisms at the time of the speech.