Extension to flexible working rights

Since 2003,  the right to request flexible working has only  been available to employees with more than six months' service in order to care for a child under the age of six ( or 18 if the child is disabled )  The right was extended to carers of adults in 2007.

April 6th will see these rights extended to parents of children up to and including the age of sixteen.

Following an independant review by Imelda Walsh in May 2008 to which Opportunity Now members were invited to contribute,  the government proposed an extension to these  rights to take effect this April,  however Lord Mandelson reviewed the proposals in light of the economic downturn during December and it was briefly proposed that the extension would be put on hold,  despite this hesitancy the entension will take place on April 6th 2009.