Labour says that the right to work at home is a productivity booster.

Labour has promised to end “presenteeism”, or the culture of not showing up for work, in Britain’s offices. They claim that flexible working as a right will make employees more productive and loyal.Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, stated that allowing employees to work at home or ignore emails and phone calls after hours will increase their “motivation and resilience”.

In a interview, he called it “bizarre”, that Sir Jacob Rees Mogg, one of his Conservative predecessors had “declared war against people who work from home”. He said that more flexible work had “real economic benefits”.Reynolds denied that tensions existed between Angela Rayner and the deputy premier, who was said to be pushing even more drastic changes, such as shorter trial periods. He claimed that they “worked very closely together” to develop the reform package.

He stressed that probationary periods were important in order to make sure that employees “lived-up to the promises they made during the interview”.

Reynolds said that despite a promise made to introduce legislation regarding workers’ rights in 100 days, this does not mean that immediate changes will be made to the law. Reynolds also stated that it was more important to take the time to negotiate with employers the specifics of the reforms than to rush through them.

Business groups have expressed concern about the proposals. They warn that they could have unintended effects such as ending overtime and increasing the cost of staffing.Reynolds has denied that Angela Rayner and Reynolds had a disagreement over the extent of labour reforms.Reynolds defended the plans for flexible work and a rights to turn off. He said that flexible working plans contributed to employee resilience and productivity.”Good employers know that to motivate and retain their employees, they need to evaluate them on the basis of outcomes, and not by a culture based on presenteeism.

Next month Reynolds will publish an employment rights bill which will Give staff more protections on day one. Ban “exploitative zero-hours contracts. Make flexible working the default right. This is part of a package described by Sir Keir as being the biggest overhaul in workers’ rights for a generation.

Reynolds dismissed Tory claims that Labour is in debt to unions as “cliches from the Seventies”. He boasted about the success of the party in raising money through business donors, and said employers have nothing to worry about.

He said that the changes were popular with both the public and businesses.”Every time we hold a meeting with a business, where we can speak candidly, the people are reassured and they actually support what we say”.Negotiations are underway on important elements, such as the lengths of probationary periods. Reynolds said that it was “not fair” for some employees to have to wait two more years to receive full rights, but added: “Ofcourse we want to get every detail right.”

The bill does not include Labour’s plan to create a single worker status, which is designed to punish bosses, who for example, avoid their obligations towards staff by classifying them as temporary employees. Reynolds stated that this issue was “particularly complex” and required more time. Other elements will be subject to additional consultations.

He said that the Employment Rights Bill was not the entire package. “We’ll be meeting the deadline [of 100 days] that was set.” In terms of implementation, this is not the end. “I don’t want people to believe that the employment law will be changed overnight when we introduce this bill.”

He said while the government was eager to introduce legislation quickly, it is more important that the quality of the legislation be high than the speed at which it is introduced.

The “right to turn off” and the default right to flexible work are among the most controversial aspects of the package. Companies will be required to create codes of conduct that prohibit them from contacting their staff outside of working hours, except under agreed circumstances. Employers will have to be flexible in accommodating requests for flexible work, such as compressed working hours, only working during school terms or from home.

Reynolds stated that “the UK has significant regional inequalities.” It can make a big difference in addressing that. Many businesses will claim that they are doing this because it allows them to reach a wider range of talent.

He acknowledged that bosses may need to contact their staff outside of normal working hours. There was “a balance” which needed to be struck as well, he said, in relation to the right to work flexible.

He said that there are situations where it’s absolutely necessary to have the workers in the office. “We want flexible working to be the default, but it doesn’t mean everyone will work from home.”

Reynolds also insisted that he wouldn’t “compel” any workforce to allow home-based work or insist on a compressed four-day week. He said that businesses in the area have nothing to fear.