Bradford's medium sized enterprises are set to be dealt a further blow, a legal expert says.

Julia Lister, a partner at Gordons Cranswick, says new legislation allowing workers the right to request more flexible working hours will cause further problems for firms.

The legislation, which comes into force next year, will mean anyone with children aged up to six will have the right to request flexible working. The rule will extend to people with disabled children up to the age of 18.

She said: "While there are to be safeguards which mean that an employee's request to change their working hours will not automatically have to be granted, unless the employer has full and stringent policies in place and can demonstrate they have given the request every avenue of consideration, then a claim for sex discrimination/unfair dismissal could arise.

"The only real restriction is that the employee must have worked at the same organisation for six months or more.

"Companies could face harsh penalties if they fail to follow correct procedure in rejecting a request. The chances are that many organisations will feel they have no alternative but to agree to the employee's request.

"Yet again we see the prospects of tribunal blackmail coming to the fore."

She says the principle of allowing workers more flexible arrangements is sound but warns a new section in the Employment Rights Act 1996 from April 2003 may put business leaders off employing anyone with young children.