Preparedness for the WFA provisions

Citation

(2007), "Preparedness for the WFA provisions", Women in Management Review, Vol. 22 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/wimr.2007.05322bab.005

Preparedness for the WFA provisions

Just over half (51 per cent) of employers surveyed consider themselves either well prepared (36 per cent) or very well prepared (15 per cent) to implement the provisions of the WFA 2006. Just 7 per cent consider themselves to be poorly prepared.

Mike Emmott, CIPD Adviser, Employee Relations, comments: “These results do not necessarily indicate hostility to the WFA. Most good employers recognise the importance of work life balance and, as the CIPD/KPMG survey shows, many already offer more than what is provided for in the WFA 2006”.

“However, it is clear from the survey that there is evident scepticism about some of the WFA provisions, especially those relating to paternity leave, and concern about the difficulties that might arise in meeting them. It is possible that such reservations simply reflect the caution with which employers tend to embrace any new regulations. But the Government needs to reassure employers about the administration of the new provisions.”

“The new rights for fathers won't be introduced until 2008 at the earliest, but it is important for the Government to use the intervening time to ensure that the provisions will help workers with families without making life more difficult for those who employ them. Until they know how the new arrangements will work, employers will be understandably worried about the likely complexity of, in effect, transferring statutory leave and pay from mothers to fathers.”

Rachel Campbell, Head of People Management, KPMG, comments: “For KPMG, the business cases for diversity and flexible working are compelling. Organisations are aiming to attract the very best talent in the marketplace from the widest talent pool. To be successful we recognise the need to truly embrace flexible working whilst balancing this with the needs of our clients. It is not sufficient to merely have it `on offer' and it not credible for it to be labelled as something only relevant to women”.

“We have been able to support 12% of our employees undertaking some form of flexible working and 25% of those taking up the options are men. The Working Families Act provides additional statutory support for the choices that carers and fathers face in this respect and we believe that implementation of the changes is in line with our strategy for being a first choice employer for our people.”

The report is based on a quarterly survey, usually of around 1,000 CIPD members (this quarter 1,435). When weighted the survey sample is representative of employers of all sizes, of all sectors, and of all regions and nations of the UK.

The CIPD web site address is: www.cipd.co.uk