Do you need time off?
Do you feel that you need to take some time off work to settle your under-five into new childcare arrangements? Find out if you are entitled to Parental Leave. Eligible employees can take unpaid parental leave to look after their child's welfare. The child must be under 5 (and can be up to 18 in special circumstances). There are factors which affect eligibility and a 21 days notice period must be given before the intended start date of parental leave. The good news is that your employment rights are protected during parental leave.
Another way of achieving a better work life balance may be "making a statutory application" to work flexibly.
Flexible working can mean working certain hours or working from home. If you care for someone (a child or an adult) you have the legal right to ask for flexible working. This does not mean that your employer has to agree to the request. Examples of flexible working include job-sharing, working from home, part-time hours, compressed hours, flexitime, annualised hours or staggered hours. Statutory applications must be submitted in writing and there are specific elements that you must include (visit www.gov.uk/flexible-working for full details). Your employer should request a meeting to discuss your application, and upon agreement will issue a new contract.