Most employers expect difficulty coping with new rights for workers with family responsibilities

Many employers believe that the implementation of new legal rights for working mothers and fathers will cause them difficulty, according to a CIPD/KPMG survey of employers looking at the likely impact on organisations of provisions in the Work and Families Act (WFA) (2006).

The legislation will, from April 2007, extend maternity and adoption pay from 6 to 9 months and extend the right to request flexible working to carers of adults. In addition the Act enables the Government to introduce a new right to fathers of up to 26 weeks additional paternity leave - some of which could be paid if the mother returns to work - and the extension of maternity pay to 12 months.

Expected Impact of WFA

Only around 1 in 10 employers surveyed think that any of the provisions of the WFA 2006 will be beneficial to their organisations. Smaller employers are more likely than larger employers to cite potential difficulties and less likely to see potential benefits.

Almost two-thirds (64%) of employers surveyed think that the paternity leave provisions of the WFA 2006 will cause them either some (48%) or significant (16%) difficulties while 57% think the maternity and adoption pay provisions will cause difficulties.

Attitudes towards extending the right to request flexible working are more positive. Only 4% of employers surveyed think that the new right for carers to request flexible working will cause them significant difficulties. 36% expect this to cause them some difficulty. However a similar percentage (35%) are strongly in favour of extending the right to all employees, and only 13% are strongly against.

Preparedness for the WFA provisions

Just over half (51%) of employers surveyed consider themselves either well prepared (36%) or very well prepared (15%) to implement the provisions of the WFA 2006. Just 7% consider themselves to be poorly prepared.

Mike Emmott, CIPD Adviser, Employee Relations, comments:

ìThese results do not necessarily indicate hostility to the Work and Families Act. Most good employers recognise the importance of work life balance and, as the CIPD/KPMG survey shows, many already offer more than what is provided for in the WFA 2006.

ìHowever, it is clear from the survey that there is evident scepticism about some of the WFA provisions, especially those relating to paternity leave, and concern about the difficulties that might arise in meeting them. It is possible that such reservations simply reflect the caution with which employers tend to embrace any new regulations. But the Government needs to reassure employers about the administration of the new provisions.

ìThe new rights for fathers wonít be introduced until 2008 at the earliest, but it is important for the Government to use the intervening time to ensure that the provisions will help workers with families without making life more difficult for those who employ them. Until they know how the new arrangements will work, employers will be understandably worried about the likely complexity of, in effect, transferring statutory leave and pay from mothers to fathers.î

Rachel Campbell, Head of People Management, KPMG, comments:

ììFor KPMG, the business cases for diversity and flexible working are compelling. Organisations are aiming to attract the very best talent in the marketplace from the widest talent pool. To be successful we recognise the need to truly embrace flexible working whilst balancing this with the needs of our clients. It is not sufficient to merely have it íon offerí and it not credible for it to be labelled as something only relevant to women.

We have been able to support 12% of our employees undertaking some form of flexible working and 25% of those taking up the options are men. The Working Families Act provides additional statutory support for the choices that carers and fathers face in this respect and we believe that implementation of the changes is in line with our strategy for being a first choice employer for our people.î