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Flexible and home working

Find information on flexible working, including employment issues relating to parents and carers and working from home/working remotely.
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Latest on flexible and home working

Read our latest features and articles on flexible and home working.
International Women’s Day: ICAEW’s inspirational leaders
  • Article
  • 07 Mar 2023
Women leading ICAEW discuss the biggest issues facing accountancy and offer their career advice.
Skills and traits the accountancy profession needs most
  • Article
  • 22 Feb 2023
Today’s accountants require softer skills, underpinning how integral they have become to the wider success of any company.
Making flexible working work for your organisation
  • Article
  • 17 Feb 2023
The head of business group the CBI believes that most bosses secretly want everyone to come back into the office. But against a backlash from staff, how will the flexible working debate pan out?
Working from home tax relief claims may still be possible for 2022/23
  • Article
  • 18 Jan 2023
ICAEW’s Tax Faculty highlights that employees should check whether they are eligible to make a claim.
How the UK’s dysfunctional housing market may affect employers
  • Article
  • 03 Jan 2023
The combination of a housing market in crisis and new working trends mean the onus is on employers to balance the longer term needs of the business with the needs of the employee.
OTS report highlights tax changes for a modern working world
  • Article
  • 22 Dec 2022
The final report from the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) sets out findings on hybrid and distance working. In the face of evolving modern working practices, respondents call for administration to be streamlined, policy conditions to be eased and for clearer guidance from HMRC.
A golden era for an older and wiser workforce
  • Article
  • 05 Dec 2022
Many people in their 50s, 60s and 70s are adding another chapter to their working lives, and organisations would do well to make the most of this valuable source of labour and experience.
What does the future of accounting tech look like?
  • Article
  • 30 Nov 2022
As accountancy teams face challenges from all sides, technology is moving to help them, and their clients, future-proof their businesses. Accounting software specialist Kevin McCallum looks at the direction of travel.
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Reports and helpsheets

Exclusive Special Report 69: Effective collaboration
  • Report
  • 2020
  • PDF (2,073kb)
Collaboration has been a trendy buzz word in business lexicon for some time now, but, as the pandemic has done with many other ‘nice-to have’ skills, it has now become absolutely necessary to master. With your colleagues, business partners, suppliers and all other stakeholders more than likely working from home, and maybe even across different locations and time zones, effective collaboration is essential
Exclusive Special Report 69 - Effective collaboration
  • Report
  • 2020
Collaboration has been a trendy buzz word in business lexicon for some time now, but, as the pandemic has done with many other ‘nice-to-have’ skills, it has now become absolutely necessary to master. With your colleagues, business partners, suppliers and all other stakeholders more than likely working from home, and maybe even across different locations and time zones, effective collaboration is essential.
Exclusive Special Report 68: Commercial Insight
  • Report
  • 2020
  • PDF (1,761kb)
This special report explores how to be more commercial to add value and generate profit for your firm.
Flexible working
  • Helpsheets and support
  • 2017
More and more people are requesting flexible working as a way to bring about better work/life balance. Flexible working is not about working less but rather having greater control to get work done more effectively. This page offers guidance on how to request flexible working and how to make it work for you and your employer.
More reports

Legal Alert

Legal Alert is a monthly checklist from Atom Content Marketing highlighting new and pending laws, regulations, codes of practice and rulings that could have an impact on your business.
New law: Employers prepare for new zero-hours' worker right to request more predictable hours
  • Article
  • 01 Mar 2023
Employers are assessing the likely impact of changes giving zero-hours and other workers with unpredictable hours a new right to request more predictable working patterns, and planning and budgeting accordingly.
New law: Employers prepare for revamp of employees’ flexible working rights
  • Article
  • 01 Jan 2023
Employers are preparing for new rules that allow all employees to request flexible working, and not just those who have 26 weeks’ service; simplify the procedure for making a flexible working request; and require employers to discuss alternatives if they are minded to refuse a request.
New practice: Workers planning to work from home should make sure they are not breaching planning laws
  • Article
  • 01 Jan 2022
Before working from home, homeowners should consider whether this amounts to a material change in the use they make of their home for planning purposes and if so whether their use is incidental to their enjoyment of it, to avoid breaching planning law.
New practice: Employers whose workforce will continue to work from home as COVID-19 restrictions are removed should formalise matters to avoid legal claims
  • Article
  • 01 Jul 2021
Employers who plan to continue to allow home working on a significant scale, even when no longer required to do so under COVID-related restrictions, should ensure they formalise matters rather than continue to rely on any temporary, informal arrangements that applied during the restrictions.
New guidance: Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issues guidance on equality and discrimination issues during the coronavirus pandemic
  • Article
  • 01 Jun 2020
The EHRC has issued guidance ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for employers’ on equality and discrimination issues during the coronavirus pandemic, to help employers avoid inadvertently breaching anti-discrimination laws.
New guidance: Acas publishes guidance on disciplinary and grievance procedures during coronavirus
  • Article
  • 01 Jun 2020
A new Acas guidance ‘Disciplinary and grievance procedures during the coronavirus pandemic’ sets out recommendations and best practice for employers to follow when handling disciplinary and/or grievance issues during the coronavirus pandemic, to reduce possible legal challenges from employees.
Disclaimer

These articles from Atom Content Marketing are for general guidance only, for businesses in the United Kingdom governed by the laws of England. Atom Content Marketing, expert contributors and ICAEW (as distributor) disclaim all liability for any errors or omissions.

All Alerts

eBooks

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides full text access to a selection of key business and reference eBooks from leading publishers. eBooks are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users. If you are unable to access an eBook, please see our Help and support advice or contact library@icaew.com.

Exclusive Beyond audit: auditing remotely and delivering value
  • eBook
  • 2021
  • Robert L. Mainardi
  • Wiley
Beyond Audit is your guide to taking advantage of this unique moment to review and enhance your audit methodology to improve execution, operations, and audit product.
Exclusive Flexible working arrangements
  • eBook chapter
  • 2017
  • Barry Cushway
  • Kogan Page
This section of the Handbook looks at the following flexible arrangements: flexible working; Bring-Your-Own-Device; Part-time workers; job-sharing; homeworkers.
Exclusive Flexible working for parents and carers
  • eBook chapter
  • 2016
  • Ewan MacIntyre
  • Pearson
This section from the chapter on employment looks at the legal right for employees to apply for flexible working.
Exclusive Get the best from a career break: how to make the most from your time away from the office
  • eBook
  • 2005
  • Bloomsbury
  • Bloomsbury
How to exploiting the opportunities available from career breaks
Exclusive Maternity/paternity rights, Adoption leave and pay, flexible working for parents and carers
  • eBook chapter
  • 2016
  • Ewan McIntyre
  • Pearson
These sections of the chapter on employment law cover the rights of working parents including maternity and paternity leave and pay; shared parental leave and pay; adoption leave and pay, flexible working for carers and parents; time off for dependents; and the right to return to work after maternity leave.
Exclusive Work well from home: how to run a successful home office
  • eBook
  • 2005
  • A & C Black
  • Bloomsbury
Guide to the tools and practices required for effective working from home.
Exclusive Working hours and holidays
  • eBook chapter
  • 2017
  • Barry Cushway
  • Kogan Page
This chapter looks at the Working Time Regulations 1998; annual holidays; parental leave; Sunday working; the employment of schoolchildren; and flexible working.
Terms of use

You are permitted to access, download, copy, or print out content from eBooks for your own research or study only, subject to the terms of use set by our suppliers and any restrictions imposed by individual publishers. Please see individual supplier pages for full terms of use.

More HR eBooks

Business press

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides access to leading business, finance and management journals. These journals are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users subject to suppliers' terms of use.
Exclusive Building culture into collaboration
  • Article
  • 28 Feb 2023
  • Joe O'Halloran
Article looks at how as hybrid working evolves, firms are looking to support non-office-based workers, while management makes sense of its new responsibilities.
Exclusive New research offers the best argument yet for a four-day work week
  • Article
  • 30 Nov 2022
  • Jena McGregor
  • Forbes
More than two dozen companies that introduced a four-day week in a pilot project saw boosted sales, lower burnout and improved absenteeism, a new report has found.
Exclusive Engaging employees in the world of hybrid work
  • Article
  • 01 Nov 2022
  • Harvard Business Review
The pandemic has radically changed how employees experience corporate culture, and firms must embrace the new reality. Researchers suggest three strategies to help both hybrid home/office and far-flung employees feel connected.
Exclusive How to onboard remote workers
  • Article
  • 01 Oct 2022
  • Paul McDonald
  • Strategic Finance
A few simple steps can help ensure new remote workers will be positioned for success in your organization, says Paul McDonald.
Exclusive Holding the line in the world of hybrid work
  • Article
  • 27 Sep 2022
  • Cath Everett
  • Computer Weekly
The role of line managers is changing as the shift towards hybrid home working increases. It would appear the secret to success is to treat all staff members as if they were working remotely, writes Cath Everett.
Exclusive Blueprint for a new world of work
  • Article
  • 12 Jul 2022
  • Paul Furtado, Jim Mello
  • Computer Weekly
Article looks at the disconnect between employers' and employees' views of hybrid working and what the working space of the future may have to look like.
Exclusive Q&A: Four business leaders on their 4-day workweek pilot plans
  • Article
  • 22 Jun 2022
  • Matthew Finnegan
  • Computerworld Digital Magazine
Seventy UK SMEs are experimenting with a four-day work week, as part of a six-month trial coordinated by the non-profit 4 Day Week Global and think tank Autonomy. Executives from four of the firms talk to Computerworld magazine about their aims, how they will manage the change, and potential challenges they expect to face.
Exclusive Adapt company culture KPIs to the hybrid workplace
  • Article
  • 01 May 2022
  • Jamie Notter
  • TD - Talent Development
Discover the correct indicators to measure with this guide to key performance indicators (KPIs) for employees working remotely.
More articles

Articles and books in the ICAEW Library collection

The collection of the ICAEW Library & Information Service includes a range of articles, books and reports on flexible and home working. Use the links below to see what we have available to request in our Library catalogue (Libcat).

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to borrowing books.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.

External resources - Acas guidance

Advice, guidance and practical resources on a wide variety of recruitment topics for both employers and employees, produced by the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, Acas. Acas is the employment relations service for England, Scotland and Wales offering practical, independent and impartial advice to employers, employees and their representatives.
Acas Code of Practice on flexible working requests
  • Website
The Acas Code of Practice on making and responding to flexible working requests.
Acas guide to flexible working and work-life balance
  • Website
Acas guide outlining important considerations for employers of all sizes when implementing flexible working practices.
Acas: Working from home and hybrid working
  • Website

Guidance highlighting both employer and employee responsibilities. Topics covered include: requests for home and hybrid working; health, safety and wellbeing when working at home; managing staff who work at home; creating a suitable policy (including a template flexible working policy).

Beyond hybrid: the current state of flexible working
  • Website
Acas discussion paper analysing Acas helpline calls to look at the current perspectives and challenges people face at work around flexible working.
Business support: managing in difficult times
  • Website
Information from Acas on how they can help businesses by providing free expert advice on employment law and workplace best practice. Acas can advise on workplace issues, including resolving disputes, improving employee relations and productivity and processes for making the most of hybrid working, flexible working or homeworking arrangements.
Code of Practice: Handling in a reasonable manner requests to work flexibly
  • Website
Acas code of practice on how employers should handle flexible working requests in a reasonable manner.
Flexible working policy template
  • Website
What to include in a flexible working policy, including how to handle flexible working requests. Free to download and use.
Flexible working requests: Acas video
  • Website
Acas short video answering commonly asked questions by employers and employees regarding flexible working.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

External resources - Flexible working guidance

Carers UK
  • Website
  • Carers UK
Information, factsheets and advice on carers' rights. Carers UK campaigns 'for a better recognition of the true value of carers' contribution to society'
Effective hybrid working: practical guidance
  • Website
Guidance commissioned by the CIPD on behalf of the Flexible Working taskforce
Effective hybrid working: practical guidance
  • Website
The CIPD has jointly produced practical guidance to support effective hybrid working as part of its involvement in the Flexible Working Taskforce
Flexible working
  • Website
  • HM Government
Government guidance on types of flexible working, asking for flexible working ('making a statutory application') and the appeals process if your employer turns down the request.
Flexible working
  • Website
  • Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
CIPD guidance and other resources on flexible working, including: helpsheets on flexible working practices; Q and As; podcasts; and reports on the business case for flexible working. Registration required to access content.
Flexible working: how to create and champion a flexible culture
  • Website
  • Equality and Human Rights Commission
EHRC guidance on flexible working, with key facts for employers, case studies and a video outlining the business case for flexible working.
Forever flex: making flexible working work beyond a crisis
  • Website
  • Flex Appeal
The research funded by Sir Robert McAalpine, is a study of real life success stories and evidence based advice and provides examples of how flexible working can be managed successfully across all sectors of industry, resulting in a happier and more efficient workforce.
Good work: the Taylor review of modern working practices
  • Website
  • Matthew Taylor
An independent review of modern working practices by Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

External resources - Home working guidance

Data protection and working from home
  • Website
  • Information Commissioner's Office
ICO guidance for remaining compliant with data protection laws when you’re working from home.
Employees who work from home
  • Website
  • Atom Content Marketing
Law Donut overview of managing employees who work from home
Employees working from home
  • Website
  • NI Business Info
Guidance for employees and managers on home working from Invest Northern Ireland
Future of global mobility
  • Website
Survey by Deloitte of a group of global mobility, reward, payroll and HR leaders on the future of global mobility. Explores trends including remote working and digitisation and the impact on international assignments.
Getting the most from remote working
  • Website
  • Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
Series of guidance from the CIPD and home working for managers and employees.
Home working: preparing your organisation and staff
  • Website
  • National Cyber Security Centre
NCSC guidance on how to make sure your organisation is prepared for an increase in home working, and advice on spotting coronavirus (COVID-19) scam emails.
Managing home workers, remote workers and lone workers
  • Website
  • Law Donut
Guidance on managing home workers from the Law Donut. Key issues include communication and how to manage and motivate people remotely.
Planning for hybrid working
  • Website
CIPD guidance on how organisations can begin to prepare for a return to the workplace and a longer term move to hybrid working where part of the time is spent in the office and part working-from-home.
Terms of use

ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided 'as is' with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.

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