Would you like to have your say on the proposed changes to parental leave, flexible working and equal pay?  Here’s your chance!  The department of Business Innovation and Skills has just launched its Modern Workplaces Consultation.

The consultation document contains some dramatic proposals and all employers are urged to have a look at the Modern Workplaces website which explains the proposals and gives you a chance to comment. Comments must be in by 8th August 2011

In summary, the proposals are as follows:

Flexible Parental Leave

• 18 weeks maternity leave and pay - in one continuous block around birth.
• Four weeks of parental leave and pay exclusive to each parent to be taken in the first year.
• 30 weeks of additional parental leave available to either parent - of which 17 weeks would be paid and can be broken in blocks between parents.  

Flexible Working

• Extending the right to request for all workers who have been with their employer for 26 weeks.
• The Government will consider publishing a statutory Code of Practice for businesses. It will propose that employers should be allowed to take into account employees individual circumstances when considering conflicting requests.
• There are no plans to alter the current 8 business reasons for a business to turn down a request.
• The Government recognises that legislation is not the only answer to promoting flexible working practices. Non-legislative measures are being developed to promote flexible working opportunities both for those with a job and for those looking for one.  

Equal Pay

• Employment Tribunals that have found an employer to have discriminated on gender in relation to pay, will order the employer to conduct a pay audit and publish their results (except in some circumstances, such as where an audit has already been conducted).