Many employers believe that the implementation of new legal rights for working mothers and fathers will cause them difficulty, according to a CIPD/KPMG survey of employers looking at the likely impact on organisations of provisions in the Work and Families Act (WFA).

The legislation will, from April 2007, extend maternity and adoption pay from six to nine months and extend the right to request flexible working to carers of adults.

It found one in 10 employers surveyed think that any of the provisions of the WFA 2006 will be beneficial to their organisations.

Almost two-thirds (64%) of employers surveyed think that the paternity leave provisions of the WFA 2006 will cause them either some (48%) or significant (16%) difficulties, while 57% think the maternity and adoption pay provisions will cause difficulties.

Just over half (51%) of employers surveyed consider themselves either well prepared (36%) or very well prepared (15%) to implement the provisions of the WFA 2006. Just 7% consider themselves to be poorly prepared.