Eligible employees can take unpaid parental leave to look after their child’s welfare, eg to:

• spend more time with their children
• look at new schools
• settle children into new childcare arrangements
• spend more time with family - eg visiting grandparents

Their employment rights (like the right to pay, holidays and returning to a job) are protected during parental leave.See the website for full details

Flexible working is a way of working that suits an employee’s needs, eg being able to work certain hours or work from home.

Anyone can ask their employer to work flexibly.

Employees who care for someone (eg a child or adult) have the legal right to ask for flexible working.

This is also known as ‘making a statutory application’. However, you have to qualify and your employer doesn’t have to agree to the request.See the website for full details