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Labour Pledges to End "Culture of Presenteeism" in British Workplaces

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As part of its Labour Party manifesto, Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, announced plans to introduce a default right of flexible working in British workplaces. This move aims to make staff more productive and loyal while also addressing the issue of "presenteeism," where employees feel pressured to be present at work even when they are not being productive. The policy change is expected to benefit millions of workers in Britain, allowing them to work from home or ignore work-related emails and calls outside of work hours.

Key Takeaways:

  • Labour's plan to introduce a default right of flexible working aims to address the issue of "presenteeism" and make staff more productive and loyal.
  • Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, stated that this policy change will make employees more "motivated and resilient."
  • The plan will benefit millions of workers in Britain, allowing them to work from home or avoid work-related emails and calls outside of work hours.
  • The policy change is a key part of Labour's manifesto, highlighting the party's commitment to improving work-life balance and employee well-being.
  • The introduction of flexible working policies has been shown to increase productivity and employee satisfaction in other countries, providing a potential model for Britain.

Statistics:

  • Freedom of information requests show that councils in Britain could have saved up to £700 million over the past year by buying energy at the price paid by central government. (Source: Freedom of information requests)
  • Analysis of average costs paid per kilowatt-hour by 350 local authorities shows that some councils paid nearly eight times more than others. (Source: Freedom of information requests)
  • The flooring chain Carpetright, which fell into administration in July, owes around 21,000 customers nearly £8 million for outstanding orders. (Source: The Times)
  • Losses at the clothing and lifestyle retailer Boden widened to £9.4 million in the 12 months leading up to December 2022. (Source: The Times)
  • Sales at Boden rose by 18% in the first half of 2023, with womenswear up 35% compared to the previous year. (Source: The Times)
  • BP has announced plans to quit the American onshore wind market and sell ten wind farms. (Source: The Times)
  • The Lloyds Bank UK sector tracker reported that more industries across the economy hired new staff in August than at any point in the past 16 months. (Source: The Times)
  • Ten out of 14 sectors monitored by the Lloyds Bank UK sector tracker reported an increase in headcount in August, one more than in July. (Source: The Times)
  • The City regulator is investigating the market for protection products, which has derailed a plan by Phoenix Group to sell its SunLife business. (Source: The Times)
  • Deloitte is to equalise its maternity and paternity leave allowance in a bid to boost the number of women in its senior ranks. (Source: The Times)
  • Playtech, the FTSE 250 gambling technology company, has lifted its core profit forecasts above market expectations and reached a settlement in a long-running dispute with a Mexican sportsbetting company. (Source: The Times)

Sources:

  • Labour Party manifesto (2023)
  • Freedom of information requests (2022)
  • The Times - various articles (2022-2023)

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