[IER] Women in the UK’s public services repeatedly denied flexible-work requests

Fri Feb 16 13:35:41 GMT 2024

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Women in the UK’s public services repeatedly denied flexible-work requests

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Inconsistent, rigid and unimaginative employers are denying individuals the flexibility they need, says Unison

Three in ten (30%) women working in schools, hospitals, care homes, town halls, police stations and other key services have had requests to work flexibly denied, according to a UNISON survey released on Thursday.

The findings – based on responses from just over 44,000 women working in the public sector – suggest employers are being ‘inconsistent, rigid and unimaginative’ by denying individuals the flexibility needed, says UNISON.

The survey is released to coincide with the start of the union’s annual women’s conference in Brighton. A quarter (25%) of the women who were told they couldn’t alter the way they worked reported that their requests had been denied multiple times.

The data shows more than two fifths (47%) of respondents had requested some flexibility in their jobs so they could achieve a better work-life balance. More than a third (37%) had done so to look after their mental health, 36% to fit around their childcare needs and 29% for physical health reasons.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/women-in-the-uks-public-services-repeatedly-denied-flexible-work-requests-says-unison/> More details 

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Office for National Statistics (ONS) release latest figures; TUC respond

Estimates of employment, unemployment, economic inactivity and other employment-related statistics for the UK (Feb 2024) 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/office-for-national-statistics-ons-release-latest-figures-tuc-respond/> More details 

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Britain’s workforce ‘bigger but sicker’

Britain’s workforce is bigger than previously thought — but sicker too, according to the Resolution Foundation’s analysis of new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Free read from LRD.  

 <https://www.lrd.org.uk/free-read/britains-workforce-bigger-sicker> More details 

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Heart Unions Week

All week, the trade union movement has been celebrating unions and the good that unions do. On social media they’ve been using the hashtag #HeartUnions. 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/heartunions-week-2/> More details 

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‘No Love for Deliveroo’: Food Couriers in Massive Valentine’s Day Strike

'We cannot afford to keep going like this any longer.' Novara Media's Polly Smythe reports from one of the largest ever strike actions against gig economy platforms in the UK.

 <https://novaramedia.com/2024/02/15/no-love-for-deliveroo-food-couriers-in-a-massive-valentines-day-strike/> Read more 

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Packed Morning Star conference debates lessons of the miners' strike for today's struggle

Union militants, miners’ strike veterans and left activists packed Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church at the weekend for the Morning Star’s Fightback conference. 

 <https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/packed-morning-star-conference-debates-lessons-miners-strike-todays-struggle> More details 

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Anti-strike law: Minimum service levels for fire and rescue services in England

Circular from Matt Wrack, general secretary of the FBU, with an update on MSL legislation affecting firefighters. 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/anti-strike-law-minimum-service-levels-for-fire-and-rescue-services-in-england/> More details 

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New ecocide Bill ‘should not punish staff’

Academics have warned that plans to make ecocide an offence in Scotland must avoid “the unintended consequence of punishing employees” instead of those responsible for wrecking the environment.

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/new-ecocide-bill-should-not-punish-staff/> More details 

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Hundreds of staff at major cycling charity secure trade union recognition

Sustrans has reached an agreement to establish trade union recognition with Unite for its staff

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/news/hundreds-of-staff-at-major-cycling-charity-secure-trade-union-recognition/> More details 

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In Europe, Platform Workers Are Winning Limited Protections

Across Europe, platform workers have won a series of court cases ruling that they are employees, not self-employed. Moves for new EU-wide legislation have faced serious resistance from lobbyists but now look set to deliver some new protections. Ben Wray writes in Jacobin.

 <https://jacobin.com/2024/02/eu-platform-work-uber-macron> More details 

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‘Closing loopholes’ — Aussie government sides with the workers

The Campaign for Trade union Freedom's Tony Burke suggests the British Labour Party should take a leaf out of the policies of its sister party Down Under

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/comments/closing-loopholes-aussie-government-sides-with-the-workers/> Read more 

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Still places on our Case Law Update event in Manchester

An event aimed at exploring the relationship between labour law and the workplace. There are still a few places left at our Manchester event on the 29th February - but be quick. 

 <https://www.ier.org.uk/events/case-law-update-feb-2024-man> Details and tickets 

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