Public Servant Lifestyle

Most employers expect difficulty coping with new rights for workers with family responsibilities finds CIPD/KPMG survey.

Many employers believe that the implementation of new legal rights for working mothers and fathers - many of which are set to came into force in April - will cause them difficulty according to a CIPD/KPMG survey of employers looking at the impact on organisations of provisions in the Work and Families Act (WFA) (2006).

Despite these concerns about improved maternity and paternity leave provision, attitudes towards extending the right to request flexible working are more positive. Only 4% of employers surveyed think that the new right for carers to request flexible working will cause them significant difficulties. This is consistent with previous CIPD research which shows that the Government's flexible working laws have been very successful to date.

The new legislation will extend maternity and adoption pay from 6 to 9 months and extend the right to request flexible working to carers of adults from 6 April 2007.

Expected Impact

Although most employers consider themselves to be prepared for the implementation of the WFA, only around 1 in 10 employers surveyed think that any of the provisions of the WFA 2006 will be beneficial to their organisations. Smaller employers are more likely than larger employers to cite potential difficulties and less likely to see potential benefits.

Almost two-thirds (64%) of employers surveyed think that the paternity leave provisions of the WFA 2006 will cause them either some (48%) or significant (16%) difficulties while 57% think the maternity and adoption pay provisions will cause difficulties.

Mike Emmott, CIPD Adviser, Employee Relations, comments: "These results do not necessarily mean that employers are hostile to the Work and Families Act. Most good employers recognise the importance of work life balance and, as the CIPD/KPMG survey shows, many already offer flexible working to a wider range of employees than those covered by the WFA 2006.

"However, it is clear from the survey that there is scepticism about some of the WFA provisions, especially those relating to paternity leave, and concern about the difficulties that might arise in implementing them. It is possible that such reservations simply reflect the caution with which employers tend to embrace any new regulations. But the Government needs to reassure employers about the administration of the new provisions.

"The new rights for fathers won't be introduced until 2008 at the earliest, but it is important for the Government to use the intervening time to ensure that the provisions will help workers with families without making life more difficult for those who employ them. Until they know how the new arrangements will work, employers will be understandably worried about the likely complexity of, in effect, transferring statutory leave and pay from mothers to fathers."

More information available in Family & Personal, Home Working