Skip to content

What Does an Employer Need to Know About Workplace Family-Friendly Policies in England?

Table of Contents

Many family-friendly employment policies are in place to help your employees manage their work and home life, such as childcare. Such policies can alleviate your employees’ stress about balancing the two, improving employee morale. Most significantly, the law requires businesses to have family-friendly policies. Hence, you must be aware of the policies and enforce them. Otherwise, you could face an employment claim in an employment tribunal. This article will explain to you, as an employer, some of the points you need to know about family-friendly policies in England. 

Maternity, Paternity and Adoption Policies

As an employer, you should have family-friendly policies covering maternity, paternity and adoption rights for your employees. The law provides relevant employees with:

  • 52 weeks of maternity leave;
  • Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP);
  • paid time off for antenatal appointments;
  • one or two weeks of paternity leave when employees are bringing up a baby; 
  • Statutory Adoption Leave; and
  • Statutory Adoption Pay. 

Shared parental leave is also a part of our family-friendly policies. It is where your employee decides to end their 52 weeks of maternity leave early and share this with their partner. Accordingly, either partner can flexibly use the leave as shared parental leave.

As an employer, you can offer more than your employee’s minimum entitlements, such as a higher rate of maternity pay.

Flexible Working

As an employer, you should consider offering flexible working arrangements to your employees. Flexible working includes:

  • part-time working;
  • staggered work hours;
  • compressed work hours or ‘squeezing’ regular work hours into fewer days;
  • flexible start and finish work times;
  • job-sharing;
  • home-working; and 
  • hybrid working, which is a mixture of office work and homework.

An employee is legally entitled to make a flexible work request where they are employed for at least 26 continuous weeks and have not made a request for flexible work in the previous 12 weeks.

If your employee has worked for you for at least 26 continuous weeks, they may be legally entitled to request a form of flexible working. You have a legal obligation to consider a flexible work request within three months of receiving the request. 

Continue reading this article below the form
Need legal advice?
Call 0808 196 8584 for urgent assistance.
Otherwise, complete this form and we will contact you within one business day.

Time Off Work

The law might also entitle your staff to time off work as part of your family-friendly policies. 

Emergencies 

For example, your staff can take a reasonable amount of time away from their job if they need to take care of an emergency concerning their dependant. A dependant includes an employee’s:

  • spouse;
  • child; 
  • partner; 
  • grandchild; or
  • anyone else who depends on them for care.

An employee’s time away from work for an emergency does not have to be paid. Additionally, the time they take on leave should accommodate their circumstances.

Compassionate Leave

The law does not oblige you to give your employees compassionate leave. However, you may decide to offer compassionate leave as part of your family-friendly policies. Compassionate leave is where you allow your employees paid or unpaid leave for an emergency.

Parental Bereavement Leave

Regardless of how long you have employed your employee, they are entitled to take parental bereavement leave should they lose a child under 18. Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay is another entitlement for these staff.

The amount of time off your employee can take for parental bereavement leave is two weeks which can be taken any time immediately after or up to 56 weeks following a death. 

Key Takeaways

Family-friendly policies in your workplace are essential since these policies cover rights that your employees are legally entitled to. Your policies should include:

  • maternity, paternity and adoption-related requirements;
  • flexible working arrangements; and
  • time off work for emergencies, compassionate leave and parental bereavement leave. 

If you need help understanding family-friendly policies in employment in England, our experienced employment lawyers can assist as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to lawyers to answer your questions and draft and review your documents for a low monthly fee. So call us today on 0808 196 8584 or visit our membership page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are family-friendly policies in employment?

Family-friendly policies are policies you offer your employees which help them maintain a work-life balance.

What is an example of a family-friendly policy you have to offer employees?

Under a family-friendly policy, you must offer your employees maternity leave for relevant employees. This means employees are legally entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave.

Register for our free webinars

Protecting and Enforcing Your Brand

Online
Protect your brand from misuse and infringement. Register for our free webinar.
Register Now

Deal Structures 101: Understanding Equity, ASAs and Convertible Notes

Online
As a startup founder, understand your capital raising options. Register for our free webinar today.
Register Now

Common Legal Pitfalls for SaaS and Online Businesses

Online
Protect your online or SaaS business from common legal pitfalls. Register for our free webinar.
Register Now

GDPR Compliance Essentials for SMEs

Online
Ensure our business is compliant with GDPR and build trust with customers. Register for our free webinar.
Register Now
See more webinars >
Clare Farmer

Clare Farmer

Read all articles by Clare

About LegalVision

LegalVision is an innovative commercial law firm that provides businesses with affordable, unlimited and ongoing legal assistance through our membership. We operate in Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

Learn more

We’re an award-winning law firm

  • Award

    2024 Law Company of the Year Finalist - The Lawyer Awards

  • Award

    2024 Law Firm of the Year Finalist - Modern Law Private Client Awards

  • Award

    2023 Economic Innovator of the Year Finalist - The Spectator

  • Award

    2023 Law Company of the Year Finalist - The Lawyer Awards

  • Award

    2023 Future of Legal Services Innovation - Legal Innovation Awards