Government to consult on family-friendly working

The Government has said that it intends to consult on family-friendly working, including parental leave, the work-life balance and extending the right to request flexible working to carers.

The Government intends to extend paid maternity leave from six to nine months from April 2007 as the first step towards its goal of twelve months' paid maternity leave, some of which will be transferable from the mother to the father.

If Labour wins the general election expected in 2005, legislation extending paid maternity leave to 12 months and giving mothers the right to transfer a proportion of their paid leave to the child's father will come into force by the end of the next Parliament - in other words, before the end of a third Labour term in 2009/10.

The Government has also said it plans to extend the right to request flexible working to employees who care for sick or elderly relatives. Any changes to flexible working legislation are unlikely to come into force before 2006.

The Government announced proposals to extend maternity leave and confirmed its commitment to introducing flexible working for carers in the pre-Budget report on 2 December 2004.

  • Pre-Budget report   Read the full text of the Chancellor's pre-Budget report, as published on the HM Treasury website.

    Also
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    Pre-Budget Report hints at more pension tax changes   IRS journal Occupational Pensions reports.

    Election ruled by children   Writing in Personnel Today, Sunday Times political editor David Cracknell weighs up the very different proposals from Labour and the Conservatives on childcare and work-life balance.

    Hewitt confirms proposal to extend maternity leave   Proposals to extend paid maternity leave to 12 months should feature in Labour's general election manifesto, according to trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt.

    Carers to get flexible working request rights   The Government has announced plans to extend the right to request flexible working to employees who care for sick or elderly relatives.