Working Families’ response to Modern Workplaces consultation – new research shows flexible fathers are happier and more committed to work

Responding to the launch of the Government’s consultation paper on flexible working and shared leave for parents today, Working Families Chief Executive, Sarah Jackson, said:

“Working Families has long campaigned for the right to request flexible working to be available to all employees. Making flexible working more widely available will change working cultures and benefit families. Parents find it easier to ask for changes where flexibility is the norm. We warmly welcome the proposed extension of the right to request flexible working.

“The right to request legislation has worked – it is simple and effective and sets out clear rights and responsibilities for employers and employees. Many good employers already offer flexible working rights to all employees. Where employment relations are good, employees don’t need to resort to statutory rights. But the law provides a useful backstop when employers say ‘no’ without considering a request. Improved guidance would be helpful, but replacing statutory duties with a code of practice needs careful handling. There is a danger that employees’ rights are watered down while employers face less certainty - with judges, not Government, deciding whether their response to a request for flexible working is ‘reasonable’.

“We welcome further reform of parental leave arrangements and in particular more rights for fathers. Evidence suggests that ‘shared leave’ is used by mothers, so a use-it-or-lose it month for fathers should stimulate take up. We welcome the proposal that parents could use their leave to work part time to ease the return to work after a new baby is born. This would benefit employers too if employees return to work sooner, but on a less than full time basis.

“It is disappointing that there is little in the consultation paper for low income fathers. Apart from independent rights, it is adequate wage replacement that encourages fathers to take time out. Forty per cent of fathers we surveyed don’t take their two weeks of paternity leave now – the majority because they can’t afford it. If the Government are serious about making Britain family-friendly, they need to improve access to parental leave by paying it properly.

“Our new research on fathers* shows that many men are already working flexibly and both employers and families reap the benefits. Interim results show that fathers who work flexibly report better physical and psychological health, are less stressed, are more committed to their employer and enjoy better relationships with their colleagues. Interestingly, fathers whose partners work full time and those who claim to do more than their share of housework also report significantly higher levels of well-being.”