Committee hears from trade unions and disability charities on impact of remote and hybrid working
Monday 31 March 2025
At 2.15pm today, Monday 31 March, the House of Lords Home-based Working Committee will hold an evidence session with representatives from trade unions and disability charities. The session will consider the implications of remote and hybrid working for employers’ treatment of workers, public sector productivity, and opportunities and challenges for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.
The session can be watched live or on demand at Parliament TV or in person in Committee Room 3, Palace of Westminster.
The following witnesses will give evidence:
2.15pm
- Alice Arkwright, Policy Officer, Trades Union Congress;
- Maggi Ferncombe, Director of Political Strategy, UNISON; and
- Lauren Crowley, Assistant General Secretary, FDA.
3.20pm
- Dr Paula Holland, Senior Lecturer in Public Health, Lancaster University;
- Fazilet Hadi, Head of Policy, Disability Rights UK; and
- Pippa Stacey, Communications Consultant, Astriid.
Questions will include:
- How do remote and hybrid working affect workers differently depending on their characteristics, including age, race, and gender, and how does this relate to their physical and mental health?
- What data exists on the challenges and opportunities of remote and hybrid working concerning recruitment, collaboration, and use of office space?
- What is the impact of remote and hybrid working on productivity and how is this linked to wider economic and public sector performance?
- What data exists on the prevalence of remote and hybrid working among people with disabilities and long-term health conditions and how does this compare to the overall population?
- What benefits does remote working offer people with disabilities or long-term health conditions and how does this vary for hybrid working?
- The Government wants to get people with disabilities and long-term health conditions back to work where possible. To what extent can remote and hybrid working help with that?
