The Jersey Chamber of Commerce has published the results of a new survey on the impact of family-friendly amendments to Jersey’s Employment Law.

Completed by 45 businesses across multiple sectors, the survey reveals widespread concern over increased costs and operational pressures, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Key findings include:

• 71% of businesses reported increased costs, mainly linked to paid parental leave and administration.
• 67% said workload was harder to manage during staff absences.
• 62% needed to restructure staffing or operations to cover parental leave.
• 53% struggled with managing extended absences of up to 52 weeks.
• 40% reported a rise in flexible working requests leading to administrative or scheduling challenges.
• Only 18% said the amendments had no significant impact on their operations.

While some businesses noted improvements in employee morale and work-life balance, 27% reported decreased satisfaction and 29% said the changes had a significant financial impact.

Chamber President Lee Madden (pictured) commented: “Businesses in Jersey are committed to supporting working parents and understand the value of family-friendly policies. However, these survey results show the amendments are placing a heavy burden on employers, particularly smaller firms. There is a clear need to review the legislation to ensure it is practical, affordable and fair for both businesses and employees.

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