Prime minister Gordon Brown has announced that the government will extend the right to request flexible working arrangements to parents of older children.
During Prime Minister's question time, Brown said the government would move forward with recommendations contained in Imdela Walsh's review, which is due to be published tomorrow. The government commissioned Walsh, HR director at Sainsbury's, to conduct a review into whether flexible working should be extended to parents of children older than six years.
Brown added that the government will consult on the details of implementing the extension of flexible working, with the aim on introducing the new rights next April.
Stephen Overall, associate director of The Work Foundation, said: "This is a very welcome step, but flexible working on its own is unlikely to address the problems of work-life balance."
