Children's Minister Beverley Hughes reckons that would help the UK's 29 million workers balance their home and work lives properly.

At the moment, employers are only required to allow parents with children under six or those with disabled children under 18 to work flexibly.

Ms Hughes also wants all jobs to be advertised as part-time, job-share or flexi-time unless there is a sound business reason not to do so, the BBC reported.

Ms Hughes' ideas are put forward in a book to be published in May, marking a decade since Labour came to power.