Home > General Financial News > Bosses 'must give flexible working to all'

Bosses 'must give flexible working to all'

Published On 12 February 2007 at 12:41:25

The minister for children, Beverley Hughes, has said that workers without children should be able to enjoy the same flexible working rights as parents.

Ms Hughes, writing in a commemorative book of Labour's 1997 victory, commissioned by the Institute for Public Policy Research, said that such a move would help the UK's 29 million workforce better balance their work and home commitments.

She explained that all jobs, where feasible, should be advertised as having part-time, flexi-time and job share options, adding that paternity and maternity pay should rise, with paternity leave being doubled to a month.

"We must redefine the 'ideal worker' and accept it is a fantasy to expect people to have none other than work commitments," said Ms Hughes.

"Work-life balance is still unobtainable for many low-income families, where the impact of low pay, job insecurity and long or atypical working hours bite hardest," she added.

From April, all people with a caring duty will be able to request the right to work flexibly.

Under the current system, only parents with children under the age of six or those with disabled children under 18 can request such rights.

 

Related General Financial News:

• FSB criticises government policies on SME tax
  17 May 2007 at 11:17:06
  The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has slammed the government's taxation policy, saying that it harms small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK.
• Business leaders cautiously acknowledge rate rise
  10 May 2007 at 12:55:37
  Business leaders acknowledged that today's (May 10th) decision to increase interest rates by 0.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent was probably needed, but have urged caution in the future.
• SMEs 'throwing away free money'
  9 May 2007 at 16:19:56
  Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are still missing out on financially lucrative research and development (R&D) tax relief, KPMG has suggested.
• Business insolvencies fall
  9 May 2007 at 10:57:48
  Fewer companies - including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) - went into liquidation in the first quarter of the year, new figures suggest.
• BCC: 'Keep up the good work MPC'
  8 May 2007 at 08:53:16
  Ahead of this week's interest decision, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has praised what the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has achieved in the last decade.
• Regulator gets tough on financial SMEs
  16 April 2007 at 08:57:55
  A regulator which monitors the activity of firms working in the financial services sector has revealed that it plans to focus its attention on the UK's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Base Rate remains at 5.25 per cent for another month
  5 April 2007 at 13:00:04
  In a move which is likely to please small and medium-sized businesses with extensive borrowing, the Bank of England has announced that interest rates will remain unchanged in April.