Juggling your job and family

It's up to you

The aim of the employment law is to help people balance life and work better, but it is still your responsibility as an employee to persuade the boss that your proposed hours will work. And your boss is entitled to refuse if he or she can show that it will hurt their business. (For example, if you work in a restaurant, asking if you can always work Tuesdays instead of Saturdays may be unrealistic).

Plan your request carefully - be very clear about the changes you want, presenting a persuasive argument to your employer. Be prepared to compromise if necessary. Giving plenty of notice and finding out if your colleagues are happy to fill-in or adjust their schedules might also be a good idea. If you want to change your hours, try these guidelines for approaching your boss. There are formal structures for appeal if you feel you've been refused unfairly - ask our career rights expert about your specific situation.

Changing attitudes

Even if employers have a legal obligation to consider flexible working for their employees, workers must be prepared to ask for it. "We need a radical change of culture in the workplace so that parents feel confident enough to ask their boss for flexibility if they need it," says Julie Mellor of the Equal Opportunities Commission. "Asking to change your hours isn't a sign that you're any less committed to the job."

One concern is that parents of older children, or non-parents, will resent people who get these new rights, but research so far has not shown this. Maggy Meade-King of campaigning group Parents at Work says: "We're very concerned about the fact that the law doesn't cover parents of children older than six, as we know all parents need flexibility. The hope is that once employers have to put a system in place, they'll feel that they might as well do it for everybody."