New right to request flexible working for parents

Cumbria Early Years Development & Childcare Partnership is delighted to work with employers in Cumbria to help them support new flexible working practices for their employees. 

Last year Cumbria Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership won funding from the Government's Challenge Fund to support their innovative work in introducing flexible working practices with their own staff and also helping local employers do the same. 

From 06 April this year working parents will also be entitled to longer maternity leave and better maternity pay, a new right to paternity leave and pay, a new right for parents of young or disabled children to request to work flexibly and their employers will have a duty to consider such a request seriously, and time off for dependants. 

County Councillor Joan Stocker, Cabinet Spokesperson for Education says 

"This is wonderful news for working parents in this area. Flexibility in the workplace will allow employers to gain improvements in the recruitment of their staff, reduce their absenteeism levels, allow them to introduce job shares, flexible working locations and hours which will be a huge benefit to many employees. Cumbria Early Years Development & Childcare Partnership is already experiencing the business benefits that flexible working brings and will be working hard with other private and public organisations across the County so they and their employees can also benefit from these new ways of working." 

Jane Williamson, Early Years and Childcare Manager at Cumbria Early Years Development & Childcare says 

"The new rights are a real boost for all families. Flexible working practices are essential in supporting family life and together with good quality, affordable childcare; they will help working parents to work most effectively. The new right to request flexible working will give parents more opportunity than ever before to balance their work and childcare responsibilities to the benefit of employers, employees and their children."