Fathers have been urged to make use of new rights to work part-time when the Government extends the law on flexible employment. Ministers have said that all parents with children aged 16 or under will get the right to request flexible work from next spring. It is currently restricted to parents with children under 6. They were responding to recommendations by Imelda Walsh, human resources director of Sainsbury’s, whom they appointed to advise them on the future of flexible work. But Ms Walsh told The Times that the issue was at risk of becoming marginalised if fathers continued to shy away from exercising their rights. The “right to request” was introduced in 2003 and about one million more parents with young children now work flexibly. Under the change, 4.5 million more parents will be eligible.
The Times