{"primaryDescription":"

MPs to hear from disability and health charities on access to flexible working

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The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) will hear from charities including Disability Rights UK, Arthritis UK, Scope, Down’s Syndrome Association and Action for ME during the first evidence session of its new inquiry: Equality at work: flexible working and disability.

","secondaryDescription":"

MPs on the cross-party committee, chaired by Labour MP Sarah Owen, will explore access to flexible working and the impacts of a range of disabilities and health conditions, including fluctuating health conditions, on people’s working lives.

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Discussion is likely to focus on the effectiveness of legal frameworks for employers' duties to provide flexible working arrangements as Equality Act ‘reasonable adjustments’. The Committee may also examine workers' rights to request flexible working, including via the enhanced provisions set out in the Employment Rights Act 2025. The session is likely to examine other forms of support, such as occupational health services. 

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The Committee’s inquiry examines the implications for disabled workers and jobseekers of flexible working policies, legislation and guidance as part of WEC’s Equality at work focus. It considers why the shift since the Covid-19 pandemic towards flexible working has not yet had a substantial impact on the employment rate of disabled people and the disability employment gap.

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