Committees

Equality at work: flexible working and disability

Inquiry

The Women and Equalities Committee is examining disabled workers’ and jobseekers’ access to flexible working arrangements. The inquiry is considering experiences of flexible working across different groups of disabled people and sectors of the labour market. It will examine associated schemes, such as Access to Work. It is considering the effectiveness of the law in this area, including employers’ duties to provide “reasonable adjustments” under the Equality Act and changes, set out in the Employment Rights Act 2025, intended to widen access to flexible working arrangements.

British Sign Language version of the terms of reference | Easy Read version of the terms of reference

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 26 June 2026.

Upcoming events

View all events
Wednesday 21 October 2026
2:00pm Private
2:20pm Public
Equality at work: flexible working and disability - Oral evidence 21 October 2026
2:20pm
  • Angela Matthews (Director of Public Policy and Research at Business Disability Forum)
  • Daisy Goodall (Policy Officer (young workers) at Trades Union Congress (TUC))
  • Kerry Hickman (Human Resources Director at Entegra UK and Ireland)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster

Past events

Wednesday 2 September 2026
2:00pm Private
2:20pm Public
Equality at work: flexible working and disability - Oral evidence 2 September 2026
2:20pm
  • Dr Paula Holland (Senior Lecturer in Public Health at Lancaster University)
  • Professor Heejung Chung (Director, King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King's College London)
  • Professor Jane Parry (Professor of Work and Employment and Co-Director of the Work Futures Research Centre at University of Southampton)
  • Professor Daniel Wheatley (Director of the Work Inclusivity Research Centre at University of Birmingham)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Wednesday 15 July 2026
2:00pm Private
2:20pm Public
Equality at work: flexible working and disability - Oral evidence 15 July 2026
2:20pm
  • Clare Ogden (Head of Support Services at Action for ME)
  • Patricia Stapleton (Senior Policy Manager at Arthritis UK)
  • Fazilet Hadi MBE (Head of Policy, Advice and Information at Disability Rights UK)
  • Alison Thwaite (Head of Employment Services at The Down's Syndrome Association)
  • James Taylor (Executive Director of Strategy, Impact and Social Change at Scope)
Room 6, Palace of Westminster

Contact us

We receive a significant number of emails each day. All requests and invitations are considered but we do not respond directly to everyone. Please be aware, the committee does not look at individual cases or specific complaints.