Flexible Working Extension

From next week working parents in Northern Ireland will benefit from extended rights to request flexible working.  As of the 18th July the right to request flexible working will be extended to include working parents of children aged 16 and under.  Previously this right was only available to working parents of children under 6 (or under 18 if the child has a disability) and brings Northern Ireland into line with the law on flexible working elsewhere in the UK.  The right to request flexible working is also available to carers of adult dependents.

Flexible working was introduced as a 'family friendly' policy to enable parents to create a balance between working and looking after their children, and to enable carers to balance working with caring for adult family members.  Flexible working arrangements may include changing from full-time to part-time work, changing working hours to fit in with, for example, school hours, term-time work so the employee does not work during the school holidays, compressed hours, that is, working the hours an employee is contracted to work in fewer days and flexi-time. 

Employees who have worked for their employer for six months can make a request to be allowed a flexible working arrangement.  Employers must consider the flexible working request carefully and can only refuse the request for flexible working if there is a valid business reason.  If the employer agrees to the employees request for flexible working it will mean a permanent change to the employees contract.

Siobhán Harding, Information & Policy Officer with Citizens Advice welcomed the extension of flexible working rights saying:  “This will enable more working parents to improve their work-life balance.  Creating a better balance between working and family life can also promote good employment relations.”