School’s Back! Is Your Business Ready?

 

The school holidays can bring a change of routine for working parents, but when the children return to school, businesses can face another set of considerations. 

 

From changing working patterns and childcare arrangements to annual leave and flexible working requests, the return to school is a good opportunity for employers to check that their policies and payroll processes are working effectively. 

 

 

During the school holidays, some employees may have temporarily changed their working arrangements to manage childcare. 

 

For example, an employee may have: 

 

 

When school starts again, some employees will simply return to their usual routine. However, others may find that a different working pattern works better for them and ask to continue it. 

 

Employers should consider each request fairly and consistently. 

 

 

The return to school can highlight the importance of having flexible working arrangements in place. 

 

Employees have the right to request flexible working from the first day of employment. Requests can cover changes to hours, working patterns or the location of work. 

 

This doesn't mean every request has to be accepted. Employers can refuse a request for specific business reasons, but they should follow the correct process when considering an application. 

 

For businesses, having a clear flexible-working policy can help managers deal with requests consistently while balancing the needs of employees with the needs of the business. 

 

 

Once children return to school, parents may still need to organise childcare around the school day. 

 

Breakfast clubs, after-school clubs, childminders and other arrangements can all affect when an employee is able to start and finish work. 

 

Good communication is important. If an employee needs to regularly change their hours because of childcare, it is better to discuss the arrangement formally rather than relying on an informal agreement that could become difficult to manage. 

 

 

The end of half term is also a good reminder that the next major school holiday isn't far away. 

 

Christmas and the New Year can be particularly busy periods for annual leave requests, especially for businesses with several employees who have children. 

 

Employers should consider: 

 

 

Encouraging employees to submit requests early can help prevent last-minute staffing problems. 

 

 

Parents may also have statutory parental leave available to them. 

 

Eligible employees can generally take up to 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave for each child, subject to the rules governing how it is requested and taken. 

 

Since 6 April 2026, the qualifying period for ordinary parental leave was removed, making it a day-one employment right for eligible employees. 

 

Employers should make sure their HR and payroll processes reflect the current rules. 

 

 

The return to school can be a useful trigger for businesses to review their employment processes. 

 

It's worth checking: 

 

Flexible working: Are requests being dealt with consistently? 

 

Annual leave: Are employees clear on the company's holiday procedures? 

 

Parental leave: Are managers aware of employees' statutory rights? 

 

Payroll: Are changes to working hours being reflected correctly? 

 

Childcare arrangements: Are any relevant workplace childcare benefits being processed correctly? 

 

Staffing: Are there enough employees available during school holidays and other busy periods? 

 

A little planning can help avoid problems later in the year. 

 

 

For many businesses, retaining experienced employees is important. 

 

Being open to sensible flexible-working arrangements can help employees balance their work and family responsibilities while allowing businesses to retain valuable members of staff. 

 

The key is finding arrangements that work for both the employee and the business. 

 

Clear policies, good communication and forward planning can make the process much easier. 

 

 

When the children return to school, it's not just the family routine that changes, it's also a good opportunity for businesses to review their own routines. 

 

With Christmas and the next round of school holidays approaching, now is a good time to make sure your annual leave, payroll and flexible-working processes are in order. 

 

Need help with payroll or keeping your business finances organised? 

 

At JSB Chartered Certified Accountants, we can help businesses with payroll, accounts, tax and financial planning, allowing you to spend more time focusing on running your business.