THE Government is consulting on a number of proposals to “stimulate cultural change [and] make flexible working practices the norm” in the workplace.

But are the Government’s vision and proposals good for business, especially in the SME sector? This afternoon, Dickinson Dees hosts a debate by local politicians and business leaders about the proposals. The main proposals include:

Flexible working

The right for all employees to request flexible working arrangements in the form of changes to their working hours, their working arrangements or their work location.

A revised process by which employers are obliged to consider all requests ‘reasonably’.

The enabling of employees to raise more than one request in a 12-month period to accommodate a temporary need for revised working arrangements.

The potential extension of new legislation to small employers and start-ups, despite the current moratorium designed to reduce red tape for this sector.

One concern businesses may have is about the failure to assist employers how to prioritise such requests. Under the proposals, there is an increased risk for discrimination claims to arise as employers find that they must choose between competing requests.

Sharing parental responsibility

After an initial period of 18 weeks maternity leave, parents could share the remaining 34 weeks maternity entitlement, re-classified as ‘parental leave’ under the new proposals.

A minimum parental leave entitlement for fathers could be introduced.

Existing parental leave entitlement could be combined with the new parental leave entitlement to create a single period of parental leave entitlement of up to 35 weeks per parent.

However, how will fathers taking advantage of the opportunity to play an enhanced role in the care of their children impact on the workplace?

Amending the Working Time Regulations

The main purpose would be to give effect to recent legal decisions and enable employees to carry forward their holiday entitlement from one holiday year to the next, and would allow them to take their accumulated holiday entitlement after the end of an extended period of absence.

This could, however, impact the way in which employers respond to long term absence.

Equal pay audits

Should employers be forced to conduct equal pay audits if they are found to have breached the equal pay legislation?

To find out more, take part in the debate and express your views to the Chair of the CBI SME Council, contact Dickinson Dees at krystle.elder@dickinson-dees.com  to reserve a place.

:: Neil Warwick is head of Kudos, a specialist SME service provided by leading law firm, Dickinson Dees