Catherwood LibraryILR School

The British government is hoping that new flexible working provisions legislation passed as part of the Employment Act will make the workplace more accommodating for parents by requiring employers to seriously consider requests for flexible schedules and other working accommodations, and justify any refusals on legitimate business grounds. The legislation follows last year?s successful suit by a single father who alleged that his employer was guilty of sexual discrimination for failing to give serious consideration to his request to work part-time in order to take care of his infant son, despite agreeing to similar requests by female employees. Whether the flexible working regulations will have the desired effect is questionable, however, as the legislation does not incorporate strong penalties for employer retaliation against employees requesting flexible working accommodations, and parents who need such accommodations are usually those who can least afford to lose their jobs due to retaliation.