Extension of flexible working rights – key points for employers
Since 30 June 2014 all employees have been able to request flexible working hours, and according to the Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills, some 20 million people now have the right to ask to work flexibly.
The new rules extend to all employees the same rights previously
reserved for carers and those looking after children. Here are the
key points:
Making a request
From 30 June 2014 every employee has the statutory right to
request flexible working after 26 weeks employment service.
Employees can only make one request in any 12 month period.
Employees must:
y
y
make their request in writing, state the date the request is made,
the change to working conditions they are seeking, and the date
they would like the change to take effect
y
y
state whether they have made a previous application for flexible
work and the date of that application
y
y
indicate what change to working conditions they are seeking and
how they think this may affect the business e.g. cost saving to
the business
y
y
indicate if they are making their request in relation to the
Equality Act 2010, for example, as a reasonable adjustment for a
disabled employee.
Responding to a request
Once a request has been received a meeting should be arranged
between employer and employee to discuss it. The meeting can
provide an opportunity to see what changes the employee is asking
for and reasons for the change, and it also allows any compromise
to be explored. The law requires the process to be completed
within three months of the request being received (this includes
any appeals).
Any request that is accepted will make a permanent change to the
employment contract, so if the employee wants a temporary change
then an agreement may be reached.
Employers should consider requests in ‘a reasonable
manner’ and can only refuse them if there is a business
reason for doing so.
Acceptable reasons are:
[ ] the burden of additional costs
[ ] an inability to reorganise work amongst existing staff
[ ] an inability to recruit additional staff
[ ] a detrimental impact on quality
[ ] a detrimental impact on performance
[ ] detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand
[ ] insufficient work for the periods the employee proposes to
work
[ ] a planned structural change to the business
More information
Best practice suggestions and more detailed information for
employers, including a video, are available at the Acas website. Visit
and follow links to “Rights and responsibilities at
work.”
What’s your Unique Selling Proposition?
What singles you out from the crowd, and makes customers choose you over the competition? We all know we should
take the time out to consider our Unique Selling Propositions (USPs), but too often we get bogged down in everyday
processes. Here are some tips to help you refocus...
Your USP defines the core of your
business, allowing employees and
customers alike to understand exactly
what it is you do.
This isn’t so much a strapline or slogan –
although some of the most famous are
also that. It’s not a mission statement. This
is a chance to point out to existing and
potential clients exactly what it is you offer
that’s better than the rest. The difficulty
comes when everyone is claiming to have
‘the best customer service’ or ‘the lowest
prices’. These can sound like hollow words
compared to a USP which not only identifies
your strengths but directs them at the
individuals or businesses you wish to attract.
Keeping this in mind, these steps might
lead you in the right direction when it
comes to thinking about how to market
your business – and creating your own
USP:
1. Who is your target customer?
Write down your
ideal client
, being
as specific as possible. Trying to be all
things to all people will not help you
stand out in your area of expertise.
2. How can you help them?
What
problem
do you
solve
for
these prospective clients? Again be
as specific as possible, but there’s no
need here to list every service you
provide.
3. Why should they come to you
instead of a similar company?
This is the heart of your USP. There
may be a dozen local or national
companies targeting the same
customers with the same services.
Differentiation
could save you from
falling behind in the marketplace.
4. What can you guarantee your
customers?
A
promise
can have a big impact on
how people perceive your company.
Can all your competitors go the extra
mile like you do?
With these answers in hand, try combining
them into a short paragraph. Once you have
your short paragraph, think about how you
can reduce it into one concise sentence.
You now have a succinct statement which
accurately describes your business and
why customers should choose you. Testing
this on a few individuals first should help
you gauge its effectiveness. Use it in the
office to reinforce your goals, introduce it
into your promotional materials or email
signature – wherever you can, always
make sure you emphasise what makes your
business unique.
