The Government has just published consultation on its plans for
flexible, family-friendly employment practices. There are four key
elements – a system of flexible parental leave, a right
for all employees to request flexible working, changes to the
interaction of annual leave and sick leave and measures to
encourage equal pay for equal work between men and women.
The changes to maternity, paternity and parental leave are
likely to be of most immediate interest to employers, who have only
just got used to the new rules on paternity leave and pay. The key
proposal is that maternity leave and pay, reserved exclusively for
mothers, will effectively be reduced to 18 weeks. There will then
be an entitlement of 30 weeks flexible parental leave which can be
shared between the parents in whichever way they wish, subject to
their employers' agreement. 17 weeks of this leave will be paid
and 13 weeks will be unpaid. Payment will be on the same basis as
now with reference to the
