Cable proposes more flexible parental leave

Plans include an additional four weeks of parental leave for each parent within a year after the birth of their child.

The proposals will also enable parents to take leave in blocks. This would mean mothers being able to return to work for a short time within their maternity leave, without losing their statutory maternity rights.  

The measures were unveiled today (16 May) in a consultation document called Modern Workplaces, released by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
 
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: "These measures are fairer for fathers and maintain the existing entitlements for mothers but crucially give parents much greater choice over how to balance their work and family commitments."

Also in the consultation are plans for flexible working conditions. This includes extending the right to request flexible working to 26 weeks.
 
The deadline for responses is 8 August and the government hopes to implement the plans by 2015.

The measure to extend flexible working has been welcomed by Sarah Jackson, chief executive of the campaign group Working Families.

She said: "The right to request legislation has worked, it is simple and effective and sets out clear rights and responsibilities for employers and employees. Many good employers already offer flexible working rights to all employees."

She also welcomed measures to increase parental leave entitlement but said many fathers would still miss out as they cannot afford to take time off.

"It is disappointing that there is little in the consultation paper for low-income fathers. Apart from independent rights, it is adequate wage replacement that encourages fathers to take time out. Forty per cent of fathers we surveyed don’t take their two weeks of paternity leave now – the majority because they can’t afford it. If the government is serious about making Britain family-friendly, it needs to improve access to parental leave by paying it properly," she added.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has criticised the plans, saying that allowing parents to take time off in chunks would create more red tape when firms are already struggling in the recession.

John Walker, FSB chairman, warned: "Proposing changes to parental leave and flexible working at such a difficult time will not encourage small business owners to grow and take on more staff."