So the Labour Party has today been the first Party to launch its election manifesto. As far as business issues are concerned, there were no great surprises and even some of the new ideas were heavily trailed in the press over the weekend.
One such proposal is a plan to extend Paternity Leave from its current two weeks paid leave, to four weeks leave (with the option for this to be used flexibly). Labour also wants to legislate to extend the right to request flexible working to older workers.
Over the course of the election we are likely to see all of the political parties engaged in a race to the top on family-friendly and flexible working policies.
It is very difficult for business to raise concerns about the pace of change in this area, without being tagged as dinosaurs. And many employers do recognise the business benefits of these policies. At the same time, however, it is the employer that usually has to cope with the corresponding costs and administrative burdens.
Instead of always hitting business therefore, what we would really need is a wider debate about how society addresses work/life balance issues – perhaps through the tax system or care provision. Whether or not this is recognised during this campaign remains to be seen.