Equal Pay and Flexible Working Bill [HL]

My Lords, I wish to focus on the Bill’s second part, which concerns flexible working. The right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham sponsored a debate on this subject in March 2008. Even in the current difficult economic climate, from these Benches we urge the Government to keep to their strategy of encouraging the right to request flexible working and to close the age loopholes. We recognise that a major part of current government policy in combating poverty and reducing benefit dependency is maximising the number of people in work. On the other hand, the Government increasingly emphasise the responsibility of good parenting, and we support that. Therefore, we have two policies. We agree that work is good. It provides not only economic opportunities but important personal and social benefits, enabling individuals to develop their skills and talents, enhancing self-worth, encouraging a sense of responsibility and enabling individuals to make economic and social contributions to society. However, flexible working is the essential link that would help to make those two policies compatible. We need to continue to address the negative impact on employees’ family life of long hours, inflexible working and atypical working patterns. It is those in employment on the lowest incomes who work the most atypical hours without being to control them. Having a parent see-sawing between work and benefits because of the time demands of the work will do nothing for the security of the family income or to help combat child poverty. Nor will it help build stability in the family. For the Government it is particularly important that, when encouraging lone parents to return to work, that work should not create such stress that those parents end up taking time off or abandoning the work because they cannot fit it in with the responsibility of looking after their children. Giving parents good, affordable childcare, a decent wage and the right to work flexibly will make a huge difference to the family’s well-being, contribute positively to relationships within the family and encourage the social, emotional and educational well-being of the children. Flexible working arrangements can work for employers, too. There is little evidence that long hours bring increased productivity. The organisation Working Families says that its recent research with Cranfield School of Management shows a positive relationship between flexible working hours and individual performance. It argues that in the current economic climate maximising productivity and performance will have to be a priority. Many employers now recognise the link between flexibility and organisational requirements, even for low-income employees, with higher productivity, lower turnover and reduced absenteeism. We congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Morris, on sponsoring the Bill, and we hope that it meets with every success.