From April 6th 2009, more than 10 million people will have the right to request flexible working from their employer. The term ‘flexible working’ can include a range of working practices such as compressed hours, working from home, or any pattern of hours other than the standard one in an organisation. The right to request flexible working started in 2003 when parents of children aged up to 6 and disabled children aged up to 18 were highlighted as needing this type of arrangement. It was then extended to carers of adults in 2007. Now the rules will apply to all parents of children aged 16 or under.
Following an independent review into the subject last year, the rules have now been extended to the new group of parents. This will mean another 4.5 million workers will add to the current 6 million now included in the scheme. The benefits of flexible working to business include increased productivity and recruitment savings and statistics show 93% of employers now offer at least one flexible working practice.
