The UK's small and medium-sized businesses are embracing flexible working practices for parents in ever increasing numbers, according to new research.

Almost three-quarters of SMBs have introduced flexible working options, and nearly a half gave the thumbs up to government plans to extend flexible working to parents of older children.

However, proposed legislation to extend maternity leave from 39 to 52 weeks, and offer fathers up to 26 weeks paternity leave with statutory pay in the event of the mother returning to work, were met with some caution.

The Citrix Online study, which canvassed 1,800 working parents and 298 SMB managers, revealed that 46 per cent of fathers and 44 per cent of mothers believe that taking extended leave could jeopardise their career.

Fathers placed flexible working above extended paternity leave as making the most positive difference to family life in the first year of their child's birth, rather than taking extended paternity leave.

More than half of mothers also gave primary importance to 'working away from the office' as the top benefit, ranking it above a company pension scheme.

Encouragingly, SMB managers highlighted employee satisfaction (66 per cent), staff retention (58 per cent) and a work-life balance for working parents (48 per cent) as the key business benefits to the provision of flexible working.

"Working parents worry about the affect that having children will have on their career aspirations, so it is promising to see that businesses are recognising the benefits of flexible working and introducing options that will really help employees," said Denise Tyler, founder of Mother@Work.