Extending the scope of flexible working
The Government has announced that it intends to extend the right to request flexible working, because it considers that treating employees equally means dealing with them as individuals, rather than on the basis of their caring responsibilities.
The right to request flexible working applies to parents of children under the age of 17 (or 18 if the child is disabled) and employees with caring responsibilities for adults. Legislation extending the right to request flexible working to parents of children under the age of 18 will come into force in April 2011.
The Government aims to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees. It believes that flexible working should not be limited to people who have children or care for dependant adults, and that it can benefit, for example, people from faith communities, or older people managing a move from work to retirement. The Government also recognises that flexible working makes good business sense.
The Government will consult on proposals to extend the right to request flexible working in January 2011. Consultation will be completed by March 2011. The Government will review responses to the consultation by December 2011.
- BIS's business plan 2011-2015 (PDF format, 360K) View the business plan, which includes information on changes to family-friendly employment legislation, on the BIS website.
- The equality strategy - building a fairer Britain View the full equality strategy on the Government Equalities Office website.
Also
Employment law under the coalition Government Consultant editor Darren Newman asks what the coalition Government's programme for government tells us about the future of employment law in the UK.
The XpertHR line manager briefing on handling requests for flexible working looks at the law and best practice on the right to request flexible working.
Why B&Q embraces flexible working Flexible working is embedded in the culture at DIY retailer B&Q, which actively promotes non-traditional working patterns for all employees, helping it to recruit and retain the best people.
The XpertHR good practice guide on flexible working discusses the importance of flexible working, the issues involved in drawing up an organisational policy, and the main types of flexible working.
