FLEXIBLE WORKING
Half of working fathers would choose employer with flexible working
As many as 56% of fathers with children aged 16 and under would favour an employer who offers flexible working when choosing a new job, according to figures published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The overwhelming majority (91%) of dads who have children aged five or under believe it is important that fathers have the option to take paid paternity leave.
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But fathers remain unsure of the rights currently in place to help them. The poll found:
a fifth (20%) of dads with children aged 16 or under - who, by law, are entitled to request flexible working from their employer - did not know if their company offered flexible working to fathers
one in three (34%) parents with children aged under five did not realise that paid paternity leave is law
one in five (22%) wrongly assumed that fathers only needed to approach their employer to ask for this leave when the baby was born or before it was eight weeks old. (To benefit from legal paternity rights, fathers must speak with their employer 15 weeks before the baby is due).
The research comes as BIS launches a campaign to raise awareness among dads of their rights at work to help them care for their child.
Background
In April 2009, the right to request flexible working for parents – fathers as well as mothers – under the Work and Family Act 2006, was extended to parents with children of 16 and under (it was previously only for parents with children up to the age of five).
Statutory paternity leave, introduced in 2003, allows fathers to take two weeks’ leave paid at a standard rate (currently £123.06) per week.
Parental leave provides employees – both mothers and fathers – who have completed one year’s service with their employers the right to 13 weeks’ (unpaid) parental leave to care for their child.
Fathers are entitled to:
Request flexible working – parents of a child 16 or under are entitled to request flexible working such as flexi time, part time or working from home, and, by law, an employer must seriously consider the request.
Paid paternity leave – new dads can take two weeks’ paid leave. They need to notify their employer 15 weeks before the due date.
Parental leave – dads have the right to take up to 13 weeks unpaid leave until their child is five years old.
The government is introducing a new right to additional paternity leave and pay for fathers of children due on or after 3 April 2011. This will give fathers a right to up to six months extra leave which can be taken in the second six months of the child’s life once the mother has returned to work. Some of the leave may be paid if taken during the mother’s maternity pay period. This will be paid at the same standard rate as statutory paternity pay (£123.06).
A final word
“We know that rights for dads at work are valued by people and that businesses also see real benefits in offering them. But our research shows that there are still some dads out there that are not aware of what they are entitled to and therefore risk missing out. Our campaign is all about making sure dads know what they can do and to help them have more confidence as they weigh up what works best for them and their family. The key is to talk to their employer.” - Employment Relations Minister Lord Young.
Want to know more?
The research was carried out between 1/02/2010 and 8/02/2010 online by Opinion Matters among 1,691 UK adults. Of those respondents, 562 were fathers of children aged 16 or under.
More information on work and family rights for fathers can be found at www.direct.gov.uk/dadsatwork.
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is “building a dynamic and competitive UK economy by: creating the conditions for business success; promoting innovation, enterprise and science; and giving everyone the skills and opportunities to succeed”. To find out more visit www.berr.gov.uk.