A user’s guide is to be published to help housing associations with new employment laws that will take effect from April.
Employees with children under six or disabled children up to the age of 18 will have the right to ask for flexible working hours arranged around their commitments. Employers will not be legally obliged to accommodate them but will have to show reasons for any refusal.

Barony Consulting is working with eight associations in a pilot study to find out what their employees would like to see from the associations.

Pavilion Housing Association, one of the pilot studies, has already had feedback from staff. Employees said they would like a more formalised flexible working hours system and more scope to work from home.

Rachel Palmer, head of corporate services added: “We are also going to look at the option of compressed working hours, whereby people can work their hours over fewer days.”

The other housing associations involved are Aspire, Ujima, Shepherds Bush, Endeavour, Saxon Weald, Liverpool Housing Trust and East Thames Housing Group.

The pilot’s findings will be presented at the National Housing Federation’s human resources and IT conference in the summer.

Source

Housing Today