Fathers can request flexible working too

The Flexible Working Regulations are not just for working mothers. Fathers have the right to request flexible working too. For any parent it can be a godsend to have the flexibility to work around school hours and domestic responsibiloities, to have the option of occasional remote working, flexitime or term-time working. It can make the difference between a bearable work-life balance and the kind of stress that reduces optomim performance at work and causes problems at home.

Providing employees, whether fathers or mothers, with even a little flexibility can bring major dividends in terms of employee morale and retention, while actually improving rather than interfering with the level of service your company offers.

As for women, a man requesting flexible working should meet the following criteria:

• A child 16 years and under OR
• A disabled child under 18 years OR
• Carer of an adult AND
• 26 weeks employment AND
• No such request for last 12 months

I've come across a couple of typical situations recently where fathers requested flexible working:

• on one or two days a week a father wanted to work at home and be available for the school run
• a father wanted to use compressed hours so that once a month he had a longer weekend to spend with his children

Flexible working certainly isn't just for mothers - I could also talk about grandparents and others, who may not have the right to request flexible working, but would benefit from it.