A huge upsurge in parents starting work early is predicted under new Flexible Working laws. The law change, which comes into effect on April 6, will require that employers consider employee requests for flexible working in good faith and consult with them on how they might be able to make them work.

Employees will also be able to make these requests on “day one” of their employment, meaning new starters might look to set new patterns of work immediately.

Employers can still reject a request for flexible work if it is plainly unworkable and would harm business operations.

HR experts at Employment Hero, which already embraces flexible working, predict the change will lead to a massive increase in the UK’s 13 million working* parents requesting flexible working hours.

Employment Hero CEO Ben Thompson commented: “The traditional 9-5 workday no longer meets the needs of our team, especially parents. At Employment Hero, we embrace remote work and empower our team to craft their own schedules. We’ve observed a significant shift among parents, who are opting to begin work as early as 5am, so they can tackle work before attending to their children’s school or childcare commitments around 9am. This early start allows them the flexibility to wrap up work earlier in the afternoon, prioritising family time and avoiding the rush to complete tasks after picking up their children. 5am is evolving into the new 9am.”

“The UK has roughly 13 million working parents. Not all of them will switch to flexible working – but millions will. Employers should be proactive in updating their policies to reflect this new normal, because if they don’t, these parents will take their experience somewhere where it is more valued**.”

Lucy Sharp, a full-time employee at Employment Hero, is just one parent embracing this new normal:

“Juggling full-time work as a mum of two is hard. If I had to manage 9-5 office hours alongside a commute, childcare expenses, school runs and after school clubs, then full-time employment would literally be impossible for me. I feel very lucky that I’m encouraged to embrace flexible working at Employment Hero. Being able to choose my own hours means I feel valued, and it gives me freedom to enjoy those little but important moments with my kids.”

Employment Hero has adopted a fully remote working policy for the last four years.  Since transitioning to a remote model, they have witnessed remarkable growth – head count has increased 5x, revenue has soared almost seven-fold, and their valuation has increased by approximately $1.7 billion.

“We’re living proof that flexible work benefits both employees and employers” Thompson continues.

“This debate over allowing people to work flexible hours or not is at the expense of more valuable discussions around productivity and innovation. Employees like Lucy are invaluable to our business – so we will do anything in our power to ensure she is the happiest, most productive version of herself while at work.”

*Working Families extrapolation of Government data.

** Research suggests a lack of flexibility is the main reason working parents quit jobs.