The proposed extension of parental rights could be good news for IT contractors, a leading organisation has claimed.

Katja Hall, director of employment policy at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), claimed that this step will help parents to adapt their work to their other commitments.

She said that businesses already do their best to support flexible working styles and that this decision could help further this goal.

It is crucial for companies to help achieve gender equality for IT contractors, she acknowledged.

Ms Hall emphasised the importance of the government getting its policies right the first time rather than creating a bureaucratic tangle that could harm UK businesses.

Her statement followed the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills' proposals to allow fathers to take off paternity leave when a mother returns to work before she has used her full allocation.

Pat McFadden, business minister, claimed that this would help secure the balance between work and family life for IT contractors.