Parents of older children will get ‘right to request’ in Queen’s speech package
03 December 2008
Parents of children aged up to 16 will be given the right to request flexible working from their employers, despite business fears over the economy, the government has confirmed.
The measures, which will enable an extra 4.5 million people to access arrangements such as part-time working or amended hours, will come into force next April. The move does not require extra legislation so will not be formally included in the Queen’s speech today, but the government has made clear it is still part of the plans for the coming months.
Lord Mandelson, business secretary, had suggested in October that the flexible working measures might be delayed because of worries they would place a burden on businesses during the downturn. But yesterday he said it would offer businesses and staff “valuable flexibility” and could help people to stay in work.
Two important bills that are set to be included the Queen’s speech are the Equality Bill, which will unite laws dealing with sexual, racial and religious discrimination; and the Welfare Reform Bill, which will impose tougher tests for incapacity benefit and require long-term unemployed people to take skills training and seek jobs or risk losing benefits.
The latter is expected to have a controversial passage through Parliament because of concerns that vulnerable unemployed people, especially lone parents, will suffer cuts to their income at the very time the economy is worsening.