“


Individual relationships can lead to a win-win scenario - there are benefits for both employers and employees.


John Cridland Director-General, CBI ” eThe Business Voice.


the workplace. This will help to further improve engagement and flexibility, as employees and businesses can deliver an objective, but in ways which suit them both best.


Message to Brussels


With so much of our employment regulation coming from the EU level, we need to do more than just take action in the UK – it’s a case that needs to be taken to Brussels as well. Employment legislation should not be based on the assumption that employers and employees are opposing forces. For the most part, we have moved beyond confrontation and needing to “protect” employees from work. Work should be – and is – a positive experience for the vast majority of employees, the vast majority of the time. EU policy-making does not currently reflect this. The assumption that employees need to be protected from their employers leads to micro-management of the EU labour market, for instance on what counts as working time or not under the Working Time Directive. This actively weakens workplace relationships, as employers have to do things “by the book” and employees, too, look to the law. It reduces the flow of communication, and flexibility for both parties. This approach is not only unnecessary for the modern employment relationship, but also detrimental to European competitiveness as emerging economies globally seek to compete with Europe as a place to invest and do business. Both employees and employers lose out when jobs go elsewhere. The message is clear: a more flexible approach in future – building on the strong floor of rights we already have – is not only in the UK interests but in the interests of growth in the European economy.


The CBI’s Director-General on the changing world of work and the implications for employers and employees alike.


¹The “right to request” gives eligible employees the right to request a change in their working patterns, and requires employers to take this request seriously, considering whether it can be accommodated. Most employers also consider what other possibilities exist if the original request cannot be met. The employer retains the right to say no on business grounds. While some were sceptical about this approach at its introduction, the substantial increase in flexible working since it was introduced shows that government can still influence the workplace highly successfully using less burdensome means.


3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12