Northern Ireland’s flexible working arrangements have been ranked third in the UK. That is according to a new analysis from the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD). However, the professional body for HR and people development is warning of the risk of potentially creating a two-tier workforce after its analysis of official data found the use of different flexible working arrangements is unequal across the UK. The analysis also finds big differences in the types of flexible working arrangements used within the different nations and regions.
Using data from the ONS Labour Force Survey, the CIPD has ranked UK nations and regions from the most to the least flexible in terms of working arrangements. The analysis found that workers in South East England have the best flexible working options, followed by the East of England, while workers in the Yorkshire and the Humber are least likely to have flexibility in their role.
While Northern Ireland ranks third overall (out of the 12 regions), there are gaps between the types of flexibility available which are of concern. Northern Ireland does well on informal flexibility (ranked first), but more progress is needed on both the flexibility over when someone works (ranked fourth) and where someone works (ranked fifth). The gap between formal and informal arrangements further strengthens the case for a change in the law around the right to request flexible working in Northern Ireland, as called for by the CIPD.
To compile the league table, the CIPD looked at three types of flexible working:
• Flexibility over when someone works (flexible hours – including flexitime, annualised hours, term-time working, job share, four and a half day week, zero hours contract)
• Flexibility over where someone works (able to work from home)
• Informal flexibility (how start/ end time is determined, ability to take a couple of hours off during the working day to deal with personal matters, able to take leave at short notice, frequency of unforeseen work demands or available for work in free time)
Previous CIPD research found the use of flexible hours – such as part-time or flexi-time – has dropped over the last year, while working from home has increased. The CIPD warns that if the downward trend in flexible hours continues, many workers may miss out on the benefits of having more flexible options available to them. Employers should therefore ensure everyone has access to a variety of flexible working arrangements and work to find solutions that best fit individual preferences alongside business needs.
To address this and to boost the number of people using a variety of flexible working arrangements, the CIPD is calling for organisations and the Northern Ireland Executive to make the right to request flexible working a day-one right for all employees through its #FlexFrom1st campaign. Currently, employees must have worked for an employer for at least 26 weeks to be eligible.
Lee Ann Panglea, Head of CIPD Scotland and Northern Ireland, the professional body for HR and people development, commented: “We see huge differences in the availability of flexible working across the UK, but also within Northern Ireland itself. It is encouraging to see good access to informal flexibility arrangements, but more progress is needed on formal flexible working options.
“It is also important that we all recognise that homeworking is only one type of flexible work – not all jobs can be done from home, not everyone can work from home and not everyone wants to work from home.”
She continued: “Employers in Northern Ireland should think creatively about the flexibility they can provide to those that need to be in the physical workplace as well as those who can work remotely, ensuring everyone has fairness of opportunity. An increase in the use of different arrangements such as flexitime, compressed hours or job shares will empower people to have greater control and flexibility in their working life. It will also help organisations to foster more diverse and inclusive workplaces and can improve wellbeing and productivity. The CIPD is calling for the right to request flexible working from day one, so everyone can benefit from having more choice and a say in when and how they work.”
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