H&H_paternity

The Government has proposed new maternity rights will be introduced from April 2007. Current rules entitle working mothers to six months' paid leave, followed by six months' unpaid time off.

In essence the new proposals are:

To extend the paid maternity leave to 9 months, followed by three months of unpaid leave.
That the second six months of leave can be taken by fathers in place of mothers. This would then allow fathers three months paid leave followed by three months unpaid leave.
The Government would continue to pay maternity leave at current levels (currently £106 per week). The administration of this is currently managed by employers but this will be reviewed.
That within the next five years paid maternity leave will be extended to 12 months.
Extend the right to request flexible working to carers of sick and disabled relatives and parents of older children.
Introduce 'keeping in touch' days so that where employees and employers agree, a women on maternity leave can go into work for a few days, without losing her right to maternity leave or a week’s statutory pay.
Extend the period of notice for return from maternity leave to two months enabling employees and employers to more effectively plan for return to work.

Our Views

Those employers who provide enhanced maternity pay (often paying at normal salary levels) need to form a clear policy as to how they will react to the additional 3 months leave from 1997 and an additional 3 months from 2010.

They should appreciate that discrimination legislation means that whatever decision they take must apply equally to men and women. This means that if enhanced maternity pay is paid to women then a man opting to take the final three months of paid leave will have to be entitled to the enhanced level.