Flexible Working and Work-Life Balance
The Flexible working law enables parents with a child under 6 or a disabled child under 18, or carers of adults to make a request for flexible working and places a duty on employers to consider such request seriously and only reject them for good business reasons.
Guidance on flexible working can be found on the Government central websites:
Employers can save themselves time and effort by using the standard forms and letters which are available from the businesslink.gov.uk website.
If you are an employee please refer to Directgov for public services all in one place, which has information on your employment rights including flexible working.
If you require further help Acas produce a number of useful guidance publications for both employers and employees. Acas also operate a helpline to answer employment questions: 08457 47 47 47 (open from 08.00 – 18.00 Monday to Friday).
Employment advisors and practitioners may find the BERR detailed guidance on Flexible working: the right and the duty to consider helpful.
Consultations and reports
On 6 November 2007, the Prime Minister announced that the Government has decided to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older children. At the same time he announced that he had asked Imelda Walsh, HR Director of J Sainsbury plc, to conduct a review of the question of where the age cut-off for older children should be set. Imelda Walsh published her report ‘Flexible working: a review of how to extend the right to request flexible working to parents on older children’ on 15 May 2008.
On 26 August the Government launch a public consultation on implementing the recommendations of Imelda Walsh’s independent review 'Amending and extending the right to request flexible working to parents of older children’.
Previous consultations
Choice and Flexibility: draft regulations on maternity and adoption leave and flexible working