From 6 April 2009, all parents of children up to 16 years of age have the right to ask their employer to work flexibly.
The new rule is an extension of parents right to request flexible working if they have children up to the age of six, or a disabled child aged up to 16 years. It means that an additional 4.5 million employees are now eligible to request flexible working ? that?s around 10 million overall.
The survey, commissioned by the government’s Equalities Office, shows that two-thirds of working parents say it would be helpful to work flexibly as their children get older. Half of parents of 11-16 year olds said that they would help with homework if they could find the time. More than half (53 per cent) feel their job prevents them spending the amount of time they would like with their children.
This is welcome news, as new research shows half of working parents (51 per cent) say their relationship with their child would improve if they could work flexibly. And it’s a commonsense ruling that we parents have been long waiting for, as it’s when children start school that the pressure of juggling school holidays and work can make things difficult, so a bit of flexibility from employers will give parents the chance to really think long term about their work pattern, which is surely the best thing for employers.
Talking to parents at Sainsburys in Dulwich, South London, Harriet Harman, minister for women and equality, said: “Children don?t stop needing their parents? time when they reach their sixth birthday.?We have already built a strong foundation of support for families through the right for parents with children under six to request flexible work. But, as any parent knows, older children going through the teenage years need just as much support and guidance.
?Families are the framework of our lives and matter not just to individuals but to our communities, the economy, and society as a whole. Mothers often tear their hair out trying to balance earning a living with bringing up their children and?need more flexibility at work.?And fathers want to be able?to play a bigger part in bringing up their children.
?This is why we have changed the law to extend flexible working rights to parents of older children.?We will continue to work with business to ensure that families continue to have real choices about how they live their lives, at the same time as making the economy strong and competitive.?
So what is flexible working?
Flexible working is any working pattern that is adapted for the benefit of the individual and that also suits their employer.? The types of flexible working include part-time, flexi-time, compressed hours, staggered hours, job sharing and working from home.
Many employers already offer flexible working, but this new law means that more parents should have the confidence to approach their boss if they haven?t before, because now they have the statutory right to ask.
It?s important to remember though, that the new rules give people the right to ask for flexible working, not the right to have it. Under the law your employer has to seriously consider any application you make, and can only reject it if there are good business reasons for doing so.
Making a flexible working request is easy. Visit www.direct.gov.uk for more information and template application forms.
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