From April 2009, businesses are required to consider flexible-working requests from more of their employees, a change in the law that is likely to boost home working.Legislation dating from 2003 allowed parents with children under the age of six to request flexible-working conditions from employers, who were obliged to "seriously consider" such applications and reject them only if there were "good business reasons for doing so".
The law has now been extended to parents with children up to the age of 16, making approximately 4.5 million more employees eligible. Six million parents and carers are already covered by the law. The change is designed to make working conditions more family-friendly, the government said in a statement.
More than 95 percent of all requests for flexible-working conditions from working parents and carers are accepted, according to government figures.
The role of PA has always been seen as an anchor and someone who is needed to be about the office. APA would like to know how flexible employers are with their PAs and whether you can operate as effectively at a distance?
Gareth
4 comments:
My boss is at his wit's end with this chnage to the law. We are a small company and already have three people off on maturnity leave, one more approaching delivery and this week we had our first request for greater flexibility; as the individual has school age kids, and home working.
We already have agency staff to cover for absence. I wish someone had told Government that there was a recesion on before they allowed this extra burdent to be added.
What do others think?
I'm a full-time PA but also have a 9 yr old so I can see both points of view but I really do feel for employers, especially during this recession. I think there are 2 issues that should be addressed by government, firstly not enough affordable childcare especially out of term time and secondly a real understanding of the pressures on employers.
Like TC I can support both sides of this arguement. It is tough for employers but it is important that both parents can work, especially in recessionary times, and we need the security of employment and earnings. I would like to see Government addressing the issue of affordable childcare and even free nursery care from a much lower age.
This blog is proving very interesting and I will take up the thought and speak to Government and find out what the latest position is on childcare provision and include it in a future piece.
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