The legal right for employees to request flexible working is unlikely to be extended under a Conservative government, David Cameron signalled yesterday, as he argued that additional regulation could be counter-productive.

Business has voiced concern at the Tory leader's emphasis on corporate responsibility in relation to work-life balance. The right to request flexible working will be extended next month from 3.6m parents of children under six to 2.7m carers. Employers say further extensions could be a big regulatory burden, particularly on smaller companies.