Family Friendly and Flexible Working

Over the last couple of years much legislation has been introduced to help employees juggle work and family commitments.

As the various regulatory reguirements continue to change and place an increased ownership on an employer to provide "family friendly" practices, it is important for an employer to both comply with legislation and make sure employees are able to exercise their right to take leave, request flexible working arrangements, and recieve statutory payments and entitlements owing to them.

Maternity and Paternity

Maternity Leave Confirmation and Return to Work Notification Letters
Maternity Leave (Antenatal Appointments)

Paternity leave request form
Paternity Leave Details Confirmation Letter

Adoption leave notification form
Adoption leave confirmation and return to work notification

Flexible Working Requests

Flexible and Part-Time Working Policy

Flexible working request forms and letters
Flexible working request form
Invitation to flexible working meeting

Approval of flexible working letter
Decline flexible working letter
Flexible working counter-offer letter

Flexible Working Appeals

Flexible working appeal form
Invitation to flexible working appeal meeting

Flexible working appeal approval letter
Flexible working appeal decline letter
Flexible working appeal counter-offer letter

Flexible working appeal forms and letters

Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Leave

Expectant mothers, fathers and adoptive parents have a legal right to time of work, some of which attracts statutory payments - Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Adoption Pay (SMP, SPP and SAP for short).

Employees also have other employment rights (e.g. expectant mothers can work as close to or beyond their Expected Week of Confinement (EWC) provided they are capable of doing their job).

It is therefore important for an employer to understand and communicate to employee's their legal rights and entitlements. Employers should also ensure discrimination does not take place or an employee is not dismissed as a result of them being pregnant, having given birth, or for exercising their right to or taking maternity, paternity or adoption leave.

Our maternity, paternity and adoption documents are aimed at helping employers:

communicate leave entitlements and early or non return to work details to employees
confirm an entitlement to ante-natal appointments and time-off work
confirm SMP, SPP and SAP payments
understand employment qualifying conditions (e.g. minimum continuous employment period)
communicate to employees how taking a leave period will affect their pay and benefit entitlements and continuous employment
keep in touch with an employee during a period of leave
communicate a employee's right to return to work in the same or a similar role

Parental Leave and Flexible Working Arrangements

Your employees (both male and female) may have a legal right to parental leave, and to request flexible working arrangements.

Both types of rights also:

depend upon an employee being able to satisfying employment eligibility conditions (e.g. minimum continuous employment period)
depend upon an employee being a working parent or the carer of an adult (child age restrictions also apply)
have time limits and restrictions regarding applications

The right to request flexible working arrangements does not, however, mean that you as an employer must agree to any proposed new working arrangements requested by an employee.

Our flexible working documents are aimed at helping employers consider, manage and respond to flexible working requests as quickly and easily as possible. And where you want to either decline a flexible working request, or offer alternative flexible working arrangements, you comply with any legislative and regulative requirements. (As well as ensuring staff provide sufficient information with their application to enable you to make a decision.)

More Information

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us.

This page was last updated on Sunday June 8, 2008
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