Get Britain Working White Paper

The ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper: A New Era for Employment in the UK”

The UK government unveiled the Get Britain Working White Paper in November 2024, a significant shift in employment policy aiming to address economic inactivity – aiming to kickstart Great Britain’s workforce. With an ambitious target to achieve an 80% employment rate – which translates to more over 2 million additional people working, the White Paper lays out comprehensive reforms across health, skills and employment services.

While the White Paper focuses on modernising employment support and improving job quality, flexible working – one of the most powerful tools for widening workforce participation, is notable by its absence! As businesses and policymakers look to implement these reforms, there’s a huge opportunity to position flexible working as an integral part of the White Paper.

Key Elements

Modernising Employment Support

Transformation of Job Centres into the National Jobs and Careers Service. This initiative aims to provide personalised and tailored support, integrating job search assistance with career development services. Whilst investing £55 million to fund pilot schemes, focussing on leveraging technology to offer digital and remote support options.  By integrating flexible job opportunities into career services, people facing barriers such as health conditions, caring responsibilities, or transport issues could more easily benefit from job opportunities.

– Integrating Health and Employment Services

Recognising the impact of health on employment, the government plans to invest £125 million in eight areas across England and Wales to integrate local work, health and skills support. Expanding mental health services and reducing NHS waiting lists will enable a faster return to work for those affected by long-term illness and flexible working can be a vital lifeline for those managing ongoing health issues.

– Youth Guarantee Programme

To combat youth unemployment, a £45 million Youth Guarantee Programme will be launched, providing individuals under the age of 22 with access to employment, education, or training opportunities. This initiative targets the estimated one in eight young people currently not in education, employment or training.

Younger people increasingly value flexibility as part of a job description, offering flexibility as part of employment and training opportunities could make participation more attractive to this demographic, particularly those with additional barriers such as caring responsibilities or mental health challenges.

– Enhancing Work Quality and Security

The “Plan to Make Work Pay” aims to improve job quality and security, addressing issues including low pay and job insecurity. The government aims to create a larger range of jobs through a modern Industrial Strategy and strengthen employment rights to ensure fair treatment in the workplace. 

Efforts to improve job quality should go beyond pay and security to include employee input over how, when, and where they work. Embedding flexible working as a standard element would align the White Paper’s ambitions with balancing people’s expectations as part of a return to work.

Challenges

The ambition of the White Paper sets out an ambitious agenda, but there are some challenges – its success hinges on effective implementation and collaboration across many areas. There are worries about the feasibility of the proposed reforms, especially the integration of services and funding. The emphasis on mutual obligations – where support is matched by the requirement for jobseekers to engage and take part, has sparked debate about the balance between encouragement and enforcement.

With economic inactivity driven by complex, often personal circumstances, long-term illness to caring duties, flexible working isn’t just an employee perk; it’s an essential workforce participation tool. Access to flexible roles can dramatically improve employment outcomes for:

Parents and carers

Older workers

People with disabilities or health conditions

Those living in remote or underserved areas

Embedding flexible working within the national employment strategy would help remove practical barriers and support more people back to work.

Conclusion

The “Get Britain Working” White Paper is a fresh approach to tackling economic inactivity with the aim of aiding long term unemployed people back into the work force. As these reforms roll out, ongoing assessment and adaptation will be crucial in ensuring they meet the ever-changing needs of the UK population.

While flexible working isn’t the main focus, the emphasis on personalised support and removing barriers to returning to work suggests that adaptable work arrangements could be a highly valuable tool in achieving the main objectives.

For businesses, this presents an opportunity to align with national goals by implementing flexible working policies to accommodate diverse employee needs, potentially enhancing recruitment, retention and overall productivity.

Flexible working isn’t a luxury, or a perk, it’s a proven, practical solution to one of the UK’s most pressing labour market challenges.

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