The Work and Families Act 2006

The Work and Families Act 2006 is part of a raft of family friendly measures which had their origin in a ten year strategy for childcare - Choice for parents, the best start for children - published in 2004.

The Act is enabling and the detail will follow, but the essential changes are as follows:

Maternity pay

The Act extends the maximum period for maternity pay and adoption pay to 52 weeks from the current period of 26 weeks. This will be done in two stages -the first increasing the period to 39 weeks from 1 April 2007.

Paternity leave

Fathers or partners responsible for children will become entitled to additional paternity leave of up to 26 weeks. The Act also provides that regulations can be made to allow fathers to claim paternity pay (beyond the two weeks that they are currently entitled to) if the mother, being entitled to maternity pay, returns to work.

Flexible working

Parents of children under 6 (or under 18 if disabled) have a right to request flexible working. From April 2007 the Act extends this right to employees with the responsibility for caring for a spouse or relative. Relative has not yet been defined.

Employers can refuse a request for flexible working, but they must have good reason. Flexible working can mean anything from compressed working hours to merely having access to a phone.

Annual leave

New regulations are to be made on the amount of annual leave entitlement. The government is committed to make paid leave for bank holidays additional to the minimum 20 days annual leave currently provided for. Therefore the annual leave entitlement is expected to rise to 28 days as part of these new measures.