Flexible parental leave: Will it work?

The Government has announced plans to introduced flexible parental leave in place of traditional maternity and paternity leave.  The idea is that mothers and fathers will be able to choose who stays at home and for how long during their child's first year.  At the moment, women can choose to take up to 52 weeks off work for maternity leave but under new proposals, this could be shared equally with the father, in whatever way the couple chooses (apart from the first two weeks, or first four weeks for manual workers.  This is to ensure the woman's body has some time to recover from childbirth).

Image credit: Stuart Miles | FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It's part of a few flexible working measures the Government plans to introduce from 2015 but will it work?  I've written about this issue and about why there may be more pitfalls than positives over on Working Parents United.  I'd love for you to take a read and tell me what you think.