Flexible working under threat

Personneltoday.com reports this week on BP scrapping the nineday fortnight.
Julie Quinn, employment partner at the law firm Nabarro, is quoted as saying that " many organisations have headcount statistics which do not support part- time working or job sharing. Someone working three days out of five is not three fifths of a full headcount.  The benefit costs are often the same, for example healthcare cover, therefore more part- timers or atypical arrangements directly feed into greater headcount at a time when many employers are looking to reduce headcount and save costs."

The Times reported that the decision was taken after a review of practices by an unnamed firm of consultants.
A spokesman from BP said that the nine day fortnight had been inherited from Amoco, the American company acquired by BP in 1998.  Several BP offices have been able to observe this working practice, including Sunbury on Thames.  2.000 staff are able to take every other Friday off if they work a set number of hours every fortnight.

Named as one of the 50 model employers by the Department of Trade and Industry in the 2003 report on flexible working BP was commended for its approach to the employees work/ life balance. The then Secretary of State,  Patricia Hewitt, wrote in the forward to the report,  " I hope these examples prove the business benefits that flexible working can bring, and that they help inspire other organisations to follow suit"

In the HSE HORIZON SCANNING INTELLIGENCE GROUP SHORT REPORT the HSE is quoted as within the FLEXIBLE WORKING AND EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS sections as saying:

Flexible working patterns offer benefits to both employers and employees. Employers might experience increased productivity and employment, whereas workers may experience greater control and flexibility, and in some cases, reduced stress.

BP employs nearly 100.000 people in circa 100 countries and the cessation of the nine day fortnight is part of a wider initiative to  cut $1.5 million dollars from the company's annual cost base.