Flexible working right to be extended

The right to request flexible working is to be extended to parents of children under 18 from next year, benefiting an estimated 300,000 people, the Government announced today.

Ministers said the move would make it easier for people to balance work and family life and would help create more flexible, family-friendly workplaces.

A consultation will be launched later this year looking at how to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees, and the design of a new system of flexible parental leave, the Government announced.

Liberal Democrats Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone said: "A family-friendly workplace is a business-friendly workplace.

"Companies are missing out the skills and talents of too many people who are forced to choose between raising a family and having a job, so we will be working with businesses to change this in a way that will make life better for employers, employees and the economy."