The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has once again called on the government to extend flexible working to all employees and stick to its implementation timetable of 2015, following the urban unrest in parts of England.
Ben Willmott, head of public policy at the CIPD, explained that allowing staff to work from home during such crises should be a “definite option”.
By allowing staff to work flexibly, by way of virtual offices for example, it would not only address any safety concerns employees might have about commuting to and from work, but it would help businesses continue delivering their services with minimal disruption.
Speaking to HR magazine, Mr Willmott said that it was important for employers to keep on top of situations like the riots in England by communicating with the police and keeping their staff in the loop about any critical incidents.
On the back of a new report released by the CIPD, Mike Emmott, employee relations adviser, said: “Extending the right to request flexible working to all employees is long overdue.
Restricting it to groups of parents and carers creates a mistaken assumption that flexibility is a perk that is good for some but not others.”