Government moving to ‘flexible’ parental leave

Under the proposals, once the early weeks of maternity and paternity leave have ended, parents will be able to share the overall leave allowance between them.

Unlike the current system this could be taken in a number of different blocks and both parents could take leave at the same time if the changes were introduced, to take effect from 2015.

Business leaders voiced concern about the prospect of increasing the total period of parental leave by another four weeks.

Ministers said current regulations reflected outdated notions of parenting and family responsibilities and restricted employers.

Employers would have the ability to ensure that the leave must be taken in one continuous period if agreement could not be reached. They will be able to ask staff to return for short periods to meet peaks in demand or to require leave were taken in one continuous block, depending on business needs.

The so-called “Modern Workplaces” consultation also includes plans to extend the right to request flexible working to all employees.

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.

“Of course I’m mindful of the need to minimise the costs, bureaucracy and complexities on businesses, so we will ensure that businesses will still be able to take into account their needs when agreeing how leave can be taken.

“I’m also confident that we have a good case to make on the wider benefits to business – not least from a motivated and flexible workforce and we will be making this case to employers over the next few years before these changes are introduced.”

Work and Pensions Minister Maria Miller said: “We need to move flexible working away from being the exception, to being considered a normal way to work.”

Katja Hall, policy director of the employers’ group the Confederation of British Industry, said: “We are concerned by proposals to increase the total period of parental leave by another four weeks, given the UK already offers some of the most generous provisions in the world.”

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the welcome reforms would help parents to decide how they shared care of their baby.

He added: “Flexible working has been a roaring success for both staff and sensible employers over the last decade.

The Government is absolutely right to extend the right to request flexible working to more families.”

The Federation of Small Businesses said the changes would hit small firms “hard” and make administration of parental leave more complicated.