BERR has launched its consultation exercise for the extension of flexible working rights to parents / carers with children up to sixteen years. Presently the right only exists until the child is six, unless he or she is disabled. This will no doubt cause some challenging cases for tribunals – the reasons why parents need time off for kids aged six and under really just boil down to childcare availability and illness. As harassed parents of teens will know, they come with their own range of inconvenient demands.
The consultation (the full documents can be found here) follows a report by Imelda Walsh, HR director at Sainsburys, which recommended that the changes be brought in. Even the CBI is in favour, provided it doesn’t come in ’til next October.
