Maternity, paternity and adoption - an overview

Family-friendly ways of working

It's a good idea to set out, in writing, what employees are entitled to in terms of family-friendly rights and the procedures they need to follow if they wish to take up these rights. Don't forget that parents of children aged under six, or those with disabled children under 18, have a right to request flexible working. The government is consulting on whether to extend this right to carers and parents of older children.

For detailed advice on dealing with a flexible working request, use the interactive flowchart on the Acas Tiger website.

A checklist needs to at least include maternity, paternity, adoption rights plus parental leave, time off for dependants and flexible working.

Flexibility

It's important to build some flexibility into your procedures. Babies don't always arrive on their due dates and children's needs and health are often unpredictable. It is therefore good practice to allow your employees the time they need to deal with their childcare responsibilities.

Read further information for employers about the business case for family-friendly working on the Employers for work-life balance website.

The charity Working Families has more help and advice on helping employees achieve a work-life balance. Read advice for employers on good working practices on the Working Families website.

Childcare facilities

You may want to consider offering employees some form of childcare provision. This sort of employee benefit can improve:

• recruitment and retention
• the availability of employees
• staff morale

You can help with childcare in a number of ways, eg by offering:

• on-site childcare, ie a workplace nursery
• childcare vouchers - these can be used in the same way as luncheon vouchers, ie they allow parents to buy childcare through a local nursery
• childcare allowances - this is a cash payment to employees so that they can buy childcare services through a nursery or childminder

From 6 April 2005, the first £50 of cost to you is exempt from tax and Class 1A NICs if you help employees by providing approved childcare or childcare vouchers for a registered or approved nursery or childminder. Download a guide on the changes to the treatment of childcare for the purposes of tax and NICs from the HM Revenue & Customs website (PDF).

Find childcare in your local area through the ChildcareLink website.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• When an employee is pregnant
• Health and safety of new and expectant mothers
• Maternity pay
• Returning to work after maternity leave
• Paternity pay
• Adoption pay
• Maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Parental leave
• Time off for dependants
• Family-friendly ways of working

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