The various public consultations undertaken relating to the Work and Families Act have received a wide range of representations from businesses and business organisations. Details of the responses can be found on the DTI’s website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/index.html (see Holidays and Work and Families sections).
In addition to the formal consultation exercises, officials have been involved in numerous meetings to discuss these issues with business representatives and other stakeholders. Ministers have also discussed these matters in their own meetings with business, ensuring that business interests have been taken into account. Finally, development of the changes has been informed by an HR advisory group specifically set-up to look at how to ease compliance for employers.