Employers warned of the dangers of giving everyone the right to request flexible working

Giving evidence at Westminster to the All Party Parliamentary Small Business Group inquiry into flexible working, Colin Coulson-Thomas, the author of Winning Companies; Winning People, warned of the dangers of unintended consequences of inappropriate regulation and legislation such as a proposed right to request flexible working. He argued unintended results of the new proposals could get in the way of the benefits of flexible working.

He said: "An effective and desired way of working for one role or person might not be appropriate for another. In some cases ‘being there' might be important, while other work could be ‘location independent'.

"A new way of working needs to be right for the role, the organisation and the individuals concerned. Flexible working suits particular individuals undertaking certain tasks, and effective operation often requires new practices and support arrangements."

Coulson-Thomas opposes the imposition of standard approaches to flexible working. He added: "Inappropriate legislation could be a burden for companies and a disservice to individuals who might not be cut out to work flexibly and/or independently, and for whose roles it might not be appropriate.

"Any move to grant rights to flexible working should address the reality that a particular way of working will not suit all individuals, in all roles and in all circumstances, or all of those with whom they will be required to collaborate."

Allowing people to work at whatever time and place best enables them to harness their potential and be effective can benefit both individuals and organisations and address a range of social issues. But Coulson-Thomas called for regulatory barriers to innovation and diversity to be reduced, in order for Europe to compete in international markets and to prevent the marginalisation of older citizens.

He said: "A new way of working must be appropriate for the tasks to be performed and the people concerned. Tasks should be defined in terms of delivering a specified ‘output' with fixed parameters of cost and time. Ideal flexible workers are those who are inner directed and able to apply their knowledge and skill independent of any particular physical location. We may have to work differently from one day to another depending upon the particular assignment."

"People likely to be involved in a new way of working - and those who work with them - need to be involved and prepared. Clear objectives should be set and health, safety and security issues addressed. Voluntary programmes are far more likely to succeed than those that are imposed. Regular communication with those who are working flexibly is also highly conducive of success."