Employers should expect a significant rise in requests for flexible working as a result of new legislation which will come into force in April 2007, international law firm Bird & Bird has warned.

The new laws will extend the right to request flexible working – which currently only applies to parents of young children - to carers and the law firm foresees a significant rise in requests and warns that employers need to prepare accordingly.

Carers who will benefit from the new changes are employees who care for their spouse or partner or for someone who is a near relative of the employee, or someone who lives at the same address as the employee. Near relatives can include in-laws, uncles and aunts, and step-relatives.

It is estimated by the DTI that 6.5 per cent of the working population will fall within this definition of carer and that 1.4 million carers will be eligible to request flexible working from April 2007 as a result of the new right.

Bird & Bird employment lawyer Elizabeth Lang commented: "The current flexible working arrangements available to parents of young children are generally considered to work successfully. The extension of these rights to carers, and the broad way in which the definition of carers has been drafted, will mean that employers can expect a significant increase in the number of requests from employees to work flexibly."