Family friendly working
Every parent understands how hard it can be to balance the demands of work with those of their family. Some employers understand the challenges parents face and offer flexible work arrangements to make life easier.
Finding a healthy work/life balance is an area where management and unions work well together. Employers want a happy, focused workforce and UNISON wants its members to be treated fairly and to have the chance to be a valued member of the workforce, without compromising their family commitments or general wellbeing.
Parental leave and flexible working arrangements are two ways to make work more family friendly.
On this page
Parental leave
Parental leave gives parents of children aged up to five (or 18 if the child is disabled) 18 weeks’ additional leave so they can spend more time with their children.
If you are an employee, you will be eligible for parental leave from the first day of employment and you are entitled to 18 weeks for each child, up to their 18th birthday. It must be taken in blocks of weeks, with a maximum of four weeks a year for each child.
If you wish to take parental leave to care for a disabled child, you can take this in blocks of days or hours, provided you are entitled to either the Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.
You must have parental responsibility for the child, meaning you are named on their birth certificate, adoption certificate, parental order or legal guardianship.
Parental leave is usually unpaid and while there is no legal requirement for your employer to pay you for parental leave, some employers might offer pay. This should be written your contract.
You may get a certain amount of parental leave on full or half pay and the rest unpaid. Check with your employer to find out what you are entitled to.
You must give your employer 21 days’ notice before the date you want to start a block of parental leave and the exact start and finish dates.
Flexible working
The right to request flexible working in England, Scotland, and Wales is now a ‘day-one’ right, meaning employees can make a request for flexible working from their first day of employment, regardless of how long they have been with the company. This change was implemented by the Flexible Working (Amendment) Regulations 2023, which came into effect on 6 April 2024.
Flexible working can include working part-time, job sharing, shift working, working school hours, staggering your time, and working from home. Employees can make two flexible working requests in any 12-month period.
In Northern Ireland, the right to request flexible working applies after an employee has 26 weeks continuous employment and an employee can only make one statutory request in any 12-month period.
Although you have the right to ask your employer for flexible working arrangements, they also have the right to refuse – but they can only do that after considering your case carefully and giving you a good business reason for not offering you flexible working. You can appeal the decision, but ultimately, the employer retains the right to refuse a request.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 will change how employers can refuse flexible working requests. It will introduce a requirement for employers to show that their decision to refuse a statutory flexible working request is reasonable.
If a request is refused, the employer must explain the reason and why they believe the refusal is reasonable. Before turning down a request, employers will also have to follow a set consultation process with the employee. The detailed steps for this process will be set out in regulations made by the Secretary of State. These changes are expected to come into force in 2027.
What to consider
Before you approach your employer and ask about flexible working arrangement, think carefully about how it might affect you and your work:
- Thing about what you want. Your employer will need to know all the details before they can make a decision.
- Be realistic and balance your needs with those of your employer.
- Think about how your salary will be affected – can you afford to work fewer hours?
Frequently asked questions
Legal disclaimer
The information contained within this article is not a complete or final statement of the law and is based on the laws of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
While UNISON has sought to ensure that the information is accurate and up to date, it is not responsible and will not be held liable for any inaccuracies and their consequences, including any loss arising from relying on this information. If you are a UNISON member with a legal problem, please contact your branch or region as soon as possible for advice, or for non-employment matters call UNISONdirect.