Carers of adults will have the right to request flexible working

From 6 April, 2007 carers will join parents of children under six (or disabled children under 18) in acquiring the right to request to work flexibly. This means their employer has to take their request seriously and follow a laid down procedure and timescale. Flexible working can include making a small change to start or finish times, flexitime (where attendance is only required during ‘core hours’), compressed hours (where the same hours per week are compressed into less than five days a week), home working, job sharing or term-time only working.
“Carers” are being defined by the government for this purpose as: “an employee who is, or expects to be, caring for an adult who is married to, or the partner or civil partner of the employee; or is a near relative of the employee; or falls into neither of these categories, but lives at the same address as the employee.” Many parents and carers are really struggling to go to work and pay the bills, whilst finding time for family life and caring for each other. Making a properly thought-through business case for flexible working is vital for successfully negotiating the changes they want and need.”