What you said about flexible working

Thousands of Usdaw members have made use of the right to request flexible working which gives parents of children up to the age of six, and carers the right to ask their employer for a change in their hours to help them juggle work with their caring commitments.

Usdaw has been pressing government to extend the right to parents of older children. After all children don't stop needing their parents once they reach the age of six.

Government is currently reviewing the age limit of the child and is considering extending the right to parents of children up to the age of 16.

While welcoming this change, Usdaw has been working flat out to convince the government that parents of 17 and 18 year olds also need the right to request flexible working. We've recently asked members to tell us what they think. We've used their responses to try and convince the Government of our case. This is what you said:

• "As children get older I believe they need their parents far more, for homework help, listening to their worries and problems and to be there after school. I believe this is very important."
• "I always fear at the back of my mind my hours being changed again and also weekend work which I don't want to do unless it's an emergency. I don't want to be leaving my teenage daughter home-alone."
• "School work, bullying, alcohol and drug abuse and anti-social behaviour to matters of the dealing with friends and partners are all so much more intense these days."
• "It's not just about nappy changing - kids are dependant until they are adults and the teenage years can be a difficult time. A time when they may need more support not less."

Usdaw will continue making the case for the right to be extended up to the age of 18 and will use our members' experiences in our evidence.

A big thank you to everyone who responded.

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© 2003 (USDAW) Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
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