Parental leave worry for small business
May 07 2001
All parents who have children under five-years-old are to be allowed to take parental leave from later this year. Up until now, parental leave has only been available to parents whose children have been born or adopted on or after 15 December 1999.
Parental leave is defined as "the right to time off work to care for a child or making arrangements for the child's welfare." It can be simply used to allow parents to spend more time with young children. It can be taken up to the child's 5th birthday, or in the case of parents with disabled children, up to the child's 18th birthday.
In addition, working parents with disabled children are to have their parental leave entitlement extended from 13 weeks to 18 weeks.
This particular leave is available to parents whose children receive Disability Living Allowance. It can be taken flexibly in blocks of a day or more, and for up to four weeks in a year. The timing needs to be agreed between employer and employee and sufficient notice given. It is unpaid and the employer is not required to keep records. However, there remains the difficulty of finding good cover for the missing employees - and at a sensible cost. This can be time-consuming and aggravating and businesses may resent it. But there may be compensations in that employees will be less stressed and more fulfilled.
As to finding cover for employees on parental leave, more junior employees could be asked to fill the gap while bringing in temporary workers at a lower level. The usual sources for temporary workers are agencies (expensive), friends and colleagues of other employees or students. These days many students work part-time while following their studies and colleges may have websites for vacancies.
To find out further details on parental leave and pay rights, visit the Government's Tailored Interactive Guidance on Employment Rights website (or TIGER) at www.tiger.gov.uk .
With thanks to Lloyds TSB Success4Business. For more news and information visit www.success4business.com .
(07/5/01)