§ Ms JowellTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what provision is available to employees of executive agencies under the control of his Department for(a) maternity leave, (b) maternity pay, (c) paternity leave, (d) parental leave, (e) flexible working hours, (f) part-time work, (g) job sharing, (h) leave to care for sick children, (i) home-working, (j) term-time contracts, (k) annual hours contracts, (l) workplace nurseries, (m) child care allowances, (n) carers' leave and (o) career break schemes; and what criteria are used to judge eligibility in each case; [27601]
(2) what provision is available to employees of his Department for (a) maternity leave, (b) maternity pay, (c) paternity leave, (d) parental leave, (e) flexible working hours, (f) part-time work, (g) job sharing, (h) leave to care for sick children, (i) home-working, (j) term-time contracts, (k) annual hours contracts, (l) workplace nurseries, (m) child care allowances, (n) carers' leave and (o) career break schemes; and what criteria are used to judge eligibility in each case. [27600]
§ Mr. BurtA woman employed on a permanent appointment, or a fixed-term appointment of two years or more, with at least one year's paid service and who contracts to return to work after her childbirth is entitled to three months and one week paid maternity leave and a maximum of 52 weeks continuous paid and unpaid maternity leave. Fathers are allowed a minimum of two days paternity leave, except in the Contributions Agency, where a minimum of five days is allowed.
In all parts of the Department, staff may apply for career breaks to care for children under 16 or elderly relatives, for special leave to (among other things) care for sick children, to work part time, either on a term-time basis or any other pattern, to job share or to work from home. For all these provisions staff apply to their line managers who deal with applications sympathetically, having regards to the needs of the member of staff, the merits of each case and the needs of the business. In addition, flexible working hours are available to most staff in the Department. Business units are free to appoint staff on annual hours contracts or to work part time or to work from home if that meets their business needs.
Workplace nurseries are provided at various locations throughout the Department where an acceptable business case has been made, funds exist and the facilities provide value for money. Staff may claim family care expenses for any reasonable and unavoidable extra family care expenses where they are required to be away from home on official business outside their normal working hours.