Tesco offers all staff right to request flexible working

Tesco has become the first major UK supermarket to grant staff new flexible working rights almost a year ahead of an expected change in the law next year.

The supermarket’s more than 300,000 workers now have the right to request flexible working patterns from their first day in the job, rather having to wait 6 months, the current legal stipulation.

The government is expected to change the rules around flexibility in Spring 2024, introducing the right to request flexible working from day one.

Tesco said this move would give staff “greater choice and flexibility in their working patterns and help to attract and retain talent”.

The grocer, which already has a large proportion of colleagues who work part-time, has introduced a new requirement that all full-time positions will be advertised as flexible, and across all roles a range of different part-time or flexible working options can be discussed.

Tesco has introduced a range of new initiatives of late to improve its employment offer.

Earlier this month, it revealed all colleagues and their immediate family would be given access to unlimited appointments with a virtual GP,  while staff can also take advantage of an expanded range of emotional wellbeing support through its Employee Assistance Programme, including access to sleep therapists, nutritionists, counsellors, exercise coaches and physiotherapists.

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It also launched PayAdvance last November, which allows staff to get up to 25% of their contracted pay early to help support them during the cost-of-living crisis.

Tesco UK people director James Goodman said: “We think giving people the right to start a conversation about flexible working from their first day, or even before they start work for Tesco, is the right thing to do to give colleagues the opportunity for a healthy work-life balance.

“We aim to create a positive culture at Tesco where managers will do as much as they can to facilitate these requests for flexibility.”

Tesco has also made its biggest-ever investment in pay over the past year, with an increase of more than 15% to bring the hourly rate to £11.02.