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Sweet sixteen wins popularity contest - 15 May 2008 (Flexible working)
Imelda Walsh has published her report on the extension to the statutory right to request flexible working. The recommendation is to extend the right to parents of children aged 16 or under, encompassing an additional 4.5 million parents. Two considered alternatives, parents of children aged 12 or aged 18, found less favour and were rejected. Ms Walsh has also recommended that the extension is implemented in one go and not in separate stages. A consultation process will follow shortly on the proposals with the changes coming into force in April next year.
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Employment Retention Bill needs staying power!
Progress has been hindered for this private member’s bill, which is aimed at improving support for disabled people in work, by creating a statutory right to rehabilitation leave for the newly disabled, and people whose existing impairments change. It was initially due to have its second reading in the House of Commons on 14 March 2008 but this was postponed to 25 April 2008, when it again got pushed back. It is now scheduled to be read for a second time on 20 June 2008.
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Recognition for the unpaid workforce
Organisations whose activities involve the use of volunteers can take part in the annual National Volunteers Week on 1 -7 June 2008 and can use the occasion as an opportunity to recognise the contribution of existing volunteers and to recruit others. There are approximately 22 million volunteers in England who spend an average of 3 working weeks a year giving unpaid help through groups, clubs and organisations. This is the equivalent of an unpaid workforce of around 1 million full-time workers!
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Holidays in Europe
The ECJ could give its preliminary ruling before the autumn on the case of HM Revenue and Customs v Stringer (formerly Commissioners of Inland Revenue v Ainsworth). If the ECJ decide to follow the opinion of the Advocate General, which was delivered in January this year, it would mean that statutory holiday does accrue during sick leave and that a worker would be entitled to be paid for any accrued holiday on termination, even if they have been absent for a full year, but would not be eligible to take paid holiday during a period of sick leave.
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