Almost 13,000 working mums took part in the survey which ran between 19 August and 26 September.
Under current UK law, all employees have the legal right to request flexible working after 26 weeks in a job. Employers must deal with requests in a ‘reasonable manner’ and can only refuse a request if there is a ‘good business reason’ for doing so. One flexible working request can be made every 12 months. There is no right to appeal.
Of those that took part in the survey and are already working flexibly, the majority (86 per cent) said they have faced discrimination and disadvantage at work due to their flexible work arrangements.
The TUC said the findings showed that the current system is ‘broken’.
The majority of mums that took part in the survey were in support of introducing a legal right to flexible working from day one in the job, as well as making it a requirement that employers advertise flexible working in job advertisements.
The Government published a consultation last month looking at making the right to request flexible working from the first day in a job.
The TUC is calling on the Government to:
- Unlock the flexibility in all jobs: Employers should think upfront about the flexible working options that are available in a role, publish these in all job adverts and give successful applicants a day one right to take it up.
- Make flexible working a genuine legal right from the first day in a job: Workers should be allowed to work flexibly from day one, unless there are exceptional circumstances that prevent it. They should have the right to appeal any rejections. And there shouldn’t be a limit on how many times you can ask for flexible working arrangements in a year.
‘Ministers need to do more than just tinker with a flawed system’
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said, ‘It’s time to make flexible working the norm as we emerge from the pandemic. It’s the best way to keep women in work and to close the gender pay gap. But the current system is broken. Employers still have the free rein to turn down requests for flexible working, and women are too scared to ask for flexible working at job interviews, for fear of being discriminated against.
‘Ministers need to do more than just tinker with a flawed system. They need to change the law so that all jobs are advertised with flexible options clearly stated, and all workers have the legal right to work flexibly from their first day in a job.’
Founder of Mother Pukka, Anna Whitehouse, who started the ‘Flex Appeal Movement’ after her flexible working request was denied in 2015, added, ‘The legal right to flexible working must be made available from the get-go if we’re going to finally change this outdated and discriminative system for good.’
The Government has been contacted for a response.
