Flexible working extension now shelved
U-turn. Plans to extendstatutory flexible working rights to all parents with children under the age of 18 from April 6 2011 had been in place for some time. However, with less than three weeks to go - and employers already prepared - the government made an unexpected announcement and shelved them. Those with children under the age of 17 and carers of certain adults aged over 18 are uneffected by this change.
What now? Apparently, this move is part of the government’s wider plan to reduce the legislative burden on smaller businesses. However, what it hasn’t yet made clear is if it’s still going to extend flexible working rights to all employees from April 2012, as previously proposed. If this change does happen next year, it could either: (1) legislate along those lines; or (2) scrap all existing rights and leave the question of flexible working up to individual employers. Its specially created “red-tape taskforce” is due to report on this issue imminently. Once it does, we’ll bring you more news. For now, don’t worry as nothing has changed.
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