Flexible Working

This is an issue I have been particularly active on. I believe it is vitally important that people are given the opportunity to maintain a healthy work-life balance. I have invested a lot of time into lobbying for greater rights, particularly for shop workers, to have a rest day on Sunday. The value of spending time with friends and family must be recognised by government.

I will add more details of campaigns and the lobbying that I am doing to this page in due course.

Relationships matter

Flexible working for ALL parents

EU Working Time Directive

A number of you have written to me regarding working hours and rest periods. Many of you are concerned that workers in the UK are not receiving the appropriate amount of rest periods in the working day. I wrote to the minister with your concerns and have posted the reply below.

I have said before that I believe it is vitally important that all workers receive a fair deal and are given the breaks and other entitlements they are due.

I will continue to pressure the DTI to do more to ensure employers abide by the rules that are laid out for them and allow a better work-life balance for all.

"We work too long in the UK at the cost of family and relationships. However, there is enough evidence to demonstrate its not good business sense either as workers are no more productive when they are tired and stressed by overworking. It makes good business sense to reduce our working hours as well as making good economic sense in developing healthy family relationships too."