By Alison Steed
FOUR in 10 of us think the whole family should be involved in caring for older relatives when they need care, according to Government research.
Women were more likely to take this view than men, as the latter considers the State should have the responsibility.
Half of the 3,000 respondents did not know which employees had the right to request flexible working hours to help us cope with the rigours of looking after infirm relatives, although one in two thought that all of us had the right to request this, which is not correct.
A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions, which undertook the research, said: “You can actually request the right to flexible working if you have been with your employer for more than 26 weeks, have a child under the age of 16, or a disabled child under the age of 18, or you are a carer for an adult living at the same address as you.”
Most people were unaware of the period of work with a single employer needed to qualify you to have the right to request flexible working hours, and those that did had general thought the period was shorter than it is.
Almost a third of us enjoy flexi-time, with a total of seven in 10 of those who are employed working flexibly in some way.
The spokesman added: “Nine in ten employees (91 per cent) said that they had one or more flexible working arrangements available to them.”
