Labour has pledged to "strengthen the right to flexible working" for employees, giving them greater scope to work from home and request flexible hours, in an announcement critics say shows the government bowing to trade union pressure. Deputy Prime Minister Louise Haigh unveiled the move on Tuesday while standing in for Andy Burnham at the TUC's annual conference, prompting accusations from the Conservatives and Reform UK that Labour is burdening businesses with excessive regulation.

Under the plans, employers would have to properly justify any refusal of a flexible working request and explain their reasoning to staff, while line managers would gain more control over scheduling. Haigh said businesses "have to make things work too" but insisted every request "can and should be taken seriously"; TUC general secretary Paul Nowak welcomed the announcement as making it "harder for employers to turn down requests". Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith branded it a "shirkers' charter", while Reform's Richard Tice called it "economically illiterate" meddling, with both linking it to wider concerns over Labour's Employment Rights Act, which has also expanded unions' powers to strike.