It is in an employers interests to expand the Parental Leave Directive over and above what the EU requires, says a senior lecturer in Employment Law.

Jill Earnshaw from the Manchester School of Management pointed out the potential benefits to the business in terms of staff retention, reducing absence and improving commitment by expanding employment policies to include a part-time working option.

She also stressed the importance of amending current contractual terms to accommodate the new statutory terms in order to avoid confusion between line managers and HR departments. Workforce agreements could help to establish a scheme which was tailored to that particular organisation.

According to Earnshaw, "The raft of new employment legislation introduced over the last year or so.....has major implications for people professionals who need to review all the policies that might be affected. Understanding what those implications are likely to be, will prove critical to keeping business costs down and avoiding unnecessary litigation."

Jill Earnshaw was speaking at the Annual Employment Law and Practice conference organised jointly by the CIPD and JSB Training and Consulting.