Labour to make it even easier to 'work' from home with pro-union 'shirkers' charter'

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The Tories have urged ministers to 'stop dancing to the union barons' tune' and focus on delivering growth for Britain

Labour has pledged to make it even easier to work from home by tightening rules around employers' ability to reject workers' requests.

First Secretary of State Louise Haigh told delegates at the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) in Brighton that firms would need to show they had "properly" weighed up an employee's application before turning it down in future.

"If an employer wants to turn down a request, they will have to sit down with their employee, properly consider and explain why," she said.

"There's kids to pick up. Parents to look after. Families who rely on us at short notice. And sometimes, a little bit of flexibility can make all the difference."

Labour is believed to be planning further legislation under the Employment Rights Act to bolster workers' protections while "flexible working".

Under the proposed changes, businesses that refuse an application to work from home application would be obligated to set out how they arrived at their decision and offer a clear justification.

The precise details of how the right to work from home will be strengthened remain unclear beyond this.

Haigh said "not every job can be done from home and not every request can be agreed", but maintained that every application "can be taken seriously".

She also commended unions for their campaigning efforts around the Employment Rights Act, claiming it was "the biggest uplift" in workers' rights in a generation.

Paul Nowak, the TUC General Secretary, welcomed the announcement and described flexible working as something far more significant than a bonus for employees.

"That's why this move is a welcome step forward. It makes it harder for employers to turn down requests while giving workers a stronger voice in the process," he said.

"Improving access to flexible working benefits workers, businesses and the economy whether it's through increasing staff productivity or higher retention."

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Existing law already grants all employees the legal right to ask for flexible arrangements covering both their working hours and location.

Employers are currently required to handle such requests in a "reasonable manner", reach a decision within two months, and hold a discussion with the worker before issuing a refusal.

Remote working became widespread during the pandemic when staff were unable to commute to their offices.

Millions of employees across both the public and private sectors have since carried on "working" from home, raising questions about its effect on productivity.

Research carried out last year indicated that Britain had among the highest levels of remote working anywhere in Europe, with workers spending an average of 1.8 days per week away from the office.

Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith condemned the proposals, branding them a "shirkers' charter" aimed at the public sector.

He said: "Labour do not understand business. They have already wrapped businesses up in red tape with their Unemployment Act, and now Louise Haigh and Angela Rayner are back, they want to crank up the pressure further."

The Tory frontbencher went on to describe the measures as "job-sapping red tape" for private companies and warned they would amount to "a complete shirkers' charter" in the public sector.

"Labour should stop dancing to the union barons' tune and focus on giving businesses the best possible environment to grow and create jobs," Mr Griffith said.