Family-friendly working: your rights
27 February 2015
By Louise Haward
Achieving a work-life balance is a struggle for the best of us but for those who have children or who are expecting, the importance of ensuring that you make the best of your time away from the office cannot be understated. Knowing your rights and options for working around your family can assist in striving for that elusive work-life balance.
Some of the key rights for employees with families are as follows:
All employees who have given birth are entitled to take up to 52 weeks maternity leave and, depending on eligibility, may be entitled to receive Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) for up to 39 weeks. Fathers, too, are entitled to take up to two weeks paternity leave. For those who are adopting, there is a similar system entitlement for Statutory Adoption Leave and Statutory Adoption Pay.
For employees with babies due after 5 April 2015, the new Shared Parental Leave (SPL) scheme and corresponding Statutory Shared Parental Pay (SSPP) allows mums to share their maternity leave and pay with their partner. This is not to be confused with parental leave, which is a separate right (see below).
All employees (mums and dads included) have a statutory right to request flexible working provided they have worked for their employer for at least 26 weeks. A flexible working request might include working from home, a job share, reducing hours, compressing hours to work fewer days or flexi-time. To make a request for flexible working it is important that you follow the correct procedure and the employer must properly consider your request (and only refuse it for one of eight specific reasons).
Parental leave is available to parents who have completed at least a year’s service with their employer and allows employees to take time off to look after a child’s welfare. A parent is entitled to 18 weeks unpaid parental leave per child. Currently, parental leave can be taken up until the child’s fifth birthday but from April 2015, the age limit will increase to 18 years. Parents requesting parental leave need to give at least 21 days notice and should follow their employer’s procedure.
Where you need to deal with a family emergency, such as a dependant falling ill or when care arrangements have unexpectedly broken down, an employee has the right to take a short period of absence from work. This right applies to all employees with dependants regardless of their hours of work or length of service.
If you are a parent, adopter, or are expecting, and need advice about the family-friendly rights available to you, the Smith Partnership employment team are happy to assist. We will be available during this week’s forum on the topic or contact Louise Haward by email on:
louise.haward@smithpartnership.co.uk.