BIS business plan sets out the Government's next steps for extending flexible working

The business plan published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) sets out the Government's timetable for moving forward its proposals to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees. 

The business plan has been published as part of the coalition Government's attempt to make its departments more transparent. In relation to family-friendly employment legislation, the Government says that it intends to:

  • put in place secondary legislation to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of children under 18 (it currently applies to parents of children under 17, or 18 if the child is disabled) by April 2011;
  • publish proposals on the extension of the right to request flexible working to all employees and "shared parental leave" in January 2011, with the consultation to be completed in March 2011;
  • analyse consultation responses and develop detailed plans on the extension of the right to request flexible working and "shared parental leave" to all employees from April 2011 until December 2011. 

Although the business plan does not give a specific date for the extension of the right to request flexible working to all employees, this timetable makes April 2012 the most likely implementation date. 

The review of "shared parental leave" will look at how family-friendly rights can be made more flexible. For example, the proposals will look at how both parents might be able to take leave at the same time, instead of the mother having to have returned to work before the father can take additional paternity leave. 

The business plan also confirms that:

  • draft Regulations to remove the default retirement age are being prepared and will come into force in April 2011; and
  • guidance for employers and individuals on the removal of the default retirement age will be ready in September 2011. 

In addition, the Government has said that it is seeking to impose "sunset clauses" on new regulations so that they automatically expire unless positive action is taken to renew them. It will also launch a "red-tape taskforce" to identify ways of reducing the bureaucratic burden on social enterprises and small voluntary organisations. 

A White Paper on reforming the regulatory landscape is expected to be ready in May 2011. 

  • BIS's business plan 2011-2015 (PDF format, 360K) View the business plan, which includes information on changes to family-friendly employment legislation and the abolition of the default retirement age, on the BIS website. The employment law aspects of the plan are mostly contained in the section "Create a positive business environment" (p.24 onwards). 
  • Transparency: business plans View the business plans for all the Government's departments on the Number 10 website. 

Also

Legal timetable View details of forthcoming employment legislation on XpertHR's legal timetable. 

Policy on flexible working Use this model policy to state and communicate the company's view on flexible working, and to implement the law that gives eligible employees the right to request flexible working. 

Default retirement age proposals: 10 things employers need to know The abolition of the default retirement age is going to have a huge impact on how employers operate their businesses. Although the default retirement age won't be completely abolished until 1 October 2011, transitional arrangements from 6 April 2011 mean that employers don't have much time to get to grips with the proposals.