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Extension of right to request flexible working is shelved

28 March 2011

It was confirmed in the Budget that an extension to flexible working rights would not take place this April as expected.

The right to request flexible working currently applies to employees who are parents of children under 17 (or 18 if the child is disabled) and to carers of certain adults.  This is not an absolute right to work flexibly only the right to make such a request and for it to be properly considered. Employers can refuse such a request on certain business grounds.

The announcement that the Government would not be bringing the extension of flexible working to parents of children under 18 into force in April as expected was first made earlier in the month in a speech to the Federation of Small Businesses and confirmed in last week’s Budget.

Regulations were published which would have implemented the right extended to parents of children under 18 from 6 April 2011; these will now be repealed.

However, the Government has said that it is committed to extending the right to request flexible working to all employees in due course, as set out in the Coalition Agreement, but that the aim behind delaying the extension of flexible working is to allow businesses breathing space in the current economic climate.

Source: Government bins business red tape

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