Family-friendly bosses warned (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Family-friendly bosses warned

A SWINDON legal firm is warning businesses about being too family-friendly when it comes to holiday entitlement.

Lawyers at Withy King in Newport Street, Old Town, say some firms are risking legal liability claims from childless workers because they are being too generous about holiday entitlements to employees with families.

"Many employers think they should give priority for leave during the school holidays to staff with children," said Tony Brown at the firm's employment team.

"But failure to treat childless employees equally could lead to costly claims."

"Parents make up almost half of the UK workforce, which means that employers can face a real quandary over who should take priority when granting holiday requests.

"They may think it is best to offer first refusal for leave over the school holidays to parents.

"This could be seen to be penalising those without children, both male and female, who have made the same request."

Solicitors say that in such a situation childless employees can end up carrying the burden in the workplace, which can often lead to resentment among staff.

They also warn with Government plans to extend paid maternity leave and to increase maternity pay, childless discrimination could be on the increase.

Mr Brown added: "We often see sex discrimination where parents and in particular mothers feel they have been discriminated against in terms of career development or entitlements such as pay benefits and holidays.

"But the law is only just recognising childless employees have rights, particularly under the Working Time Regulations and Religious Discrimination law and can bring forward claims."

Mr Brown is now urging employers to ensure that they treat all employees equally and to consider the personal circumstances of employees on a case-by-case basis when granting holiday.

"Parents enjoy rights their childless co-workers miss out on, for example rights to enhanced maternity leave, paternity leave and flexible working,

"It is aspects like this within the law that may de-motivate childless workers as they may feel it is unfair that they do not have the same rights to time off or flexible working."

Anthony Osborne