Right to request flexible working extended to parents of children under 18

On 6 April 2011, the right to request flexible working will be extended to parents of children under 18 (it currently applies to parents of children under 17, or 18 if the child is disabled). 

Under flexible working legislation, an eligible employee who is (or is the spouse, civil partner or live-in partner of) the parent, adoptive parent, guardian, special guardian or foster parent of a child under the age of 17 (or of a disabled child under the age of 18), and who has a need to spend more time with that child, has the legal right to apply to his or her employer for a more flexible pattern of working hours or (where appropriate) the opportunity to work from home. 

The move to extend the right to parents of children under 18 is the first stage of changes to the law that will eventually extend the right to request flexible working to all employees. 

• Flexible Working (Eligibility, Complaints and Remedies) (Amendment) Regulations 2010 (SI 2010/2991) The Regulations amending the flexible working legislation have been published on the UK legislation website. 
• Outlook video: Extending the right to request flexible working XpertHR's head of content Jo Stubbs and group editor David Shepherd discuss the Government's proposals to extend the right to request flexible working. 

Also

Right to request flexible working: liveflo Use this flowchart to ensure that, on receiving a flexible working request, you comply with the requirements set out in the legislation. 

Right to request flexible working: model documents The XpertHR policies and documents section on the right to request flexible working has more model documents, including:

• policy on flexible working; and
• declaration of eligibility form in respect of an employee's right to request flexible working. 

IRS flexible working survey 2010: combating the recession In the first part of the 2010 IRS flexible working report, IRS investigates how employers have been using flexible working to cut employment costs and reduce job losses during difficult economic times. 

IRS flexible working survey 2010: take-up and employee requests In the second part of the 2010 flexible working report, IRS looks at the number of employee requests being made for flexible working, the extent to which informal arrangements are considered, and how many employees are actually working in non-traditional ways. 

IRS flexible working survey 2010: benefits, issues, and making it work In this final article in our three-part flexible working report, we look at which options are on offer, the benefits and pitfalls, and how organisations are successfully adapting to new ways of working.