The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is concerned that Government plans to extend flexible working and introduce changes to parental leave, at a time when it has committed to cutting red tape, will hit small businesses hard. 

The FSB has been calling for the need to reform parental leave for some time. However, the changes that the Government want to make could allow both parents to take off time in chunks, rather than in one block, which would make administration of the leave far more complicated than it already is.

Parental leave is extremely complicated for small businesses to administer and so it should be tailored to suit each individual – a one size fits all approach does not work for small businesses. The FSB welcomes the consultation the Government has issued, so it can put forward the small business view.

The Government is also planning to consult on extending the right to request flexible working to all employees. Small businesses already offer flexibility in the workplace with FSB research showing that of the two-thirds of small businesses that offer flexible working, only 4% restrict this to the parents of small children. Further formalisation of these rules would be another bureaucratic burden on small firms, especially given that they are already doing it.