Flexible working rights will not apply to all carers

Twenty per cent of carers will lose out on the right to request flexible working the government announced yesterday.

It rejected calls from campaigners to apply the right, enshrined in the Work and Families Act 2006, to all carers, keeping to original plans to cover employees caring for a partner, relative or someone else living at the same address.

However, it selected the wider of the two definitions of relative that it consulted upon, covering parents, parents-in-law, adult children, adopted adult children, siblings, uncles, aunts, grandparents and step relatives.

Carers UK chief executive Imelda Redmond said the announcement meant 2.6 million carers would enjoy the right, adding: “We hope that employers will take the opportunity to cover all carers in their policies.”