UK Gov to change maternity leave rules

[Pappa]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12204079

Nick Clegg outlines plans for new parental leave rules

Nick Clegg has outlined plans to press ahead in April with changes to allow couples to share maternity leave.

The new scheme, first proposed by the last government, will let a father take up any remaining unpaid leave if their partner goes back to work early.

The deputy prime minister said current paternity rules were "Edwardian".

He also said the government would soon be "saying more" about plans to extend the right to ask for flexible hours to grandparents and close family friends.

In a speech to the Demos think-tank, he said the government would consult on a "proper" system of shared parental leave to be introduced in 2015.

He said it was vital that reforms to parental leave helped not only the rich, but also ordinary working families in what he calls "alarm clock Britain".

"Too many of these parents feel trapped by the current rigid rules," he said. The current systems, which allow men two weeks of paternity leave, "patronise women and marginalise men", Mr Clegg added.

The April changes mean that if a mother returns to work without taking a full year's maternity leave the father will be able to take the remaining time, up to a maximum of six months.

Mr Clegg said: "But we want to go further. We know that men need to be actively encouraged to take time off. And often parents want more flexibility than these arrangements will allow.

"So in the coming weeks we will be launching a consultation on a new properly flexible system of shared parental leave, that we aim to introduce in 2015. I would have liked it to be sooner. But getting this right will take time. "

"The options we are working through will have massive consequences for parents up and down the country, and they have to be considered carefully. It would be wholly irresponsible to rush these changes... we cannot just spring them on employers."

He said one idea being looked at was allowing parents to share the overall leave allowance - paid and unpaid - between them in one big block or in lots of chunks.

"Crucially, we're also looking at what can be done to encourage men to take more leave. Possibly, for example, through use-it-or-lose it blocks of time, especially reserved for fathers," said Mr Clegg, who took a long period of leave after the birth of his first child so his lawyer wife could return to work first.

He also said the government hoped to extend flexible working beyond mothers and fathers "if we are to dispel the stigma many men, and some employers, still attach to it".

"By extending flexible leave, for example to grandparents, or close family friends, we hope to make it much more common - a cultural norm."

He acknowledged the fears among some employers about extending leave rights, saying "clearly any changes need to reflect the difficult economic circumstances we find ourselves in. But it is right that we look at this option as we work through the consultation.

'Red tape'

Mr Clegg said there were "no magic wand solutions. No preaching... just some help because we understand the pressures... finding a job, giving your child a good education, making your relationship work.

"We will do whatever we can to make those things easier and the rest - the decisions, the choices, the lifestyles - is up to you(parents)."

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "The UK has the most unequal parental leave arrangements in Europe so extending the previous government's shared leave plans is welcome.

"New parents should be able to decide for themselves who looks after their baby in the first year, rather than having the decision dictated by government regulation, as is currently the case.

"It's important, however, to ensure that new mothers are encouraged to take sufficient time off to recover and breast-feed their babies."

However David Frost, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, warned that the proposals would simply burden business with more red tape and could deter firms from taking on new staff.

"Business is not against the principle of shared parental lea ve, but how is an employer expected to plan and arrange cover with this fully flexible system?" he said.

Katja Hall, director for employment policy at the CBI employers' group, said: "We support moves to make parental leave more flexible. This will help families better balance their work and home life.

"Allowing parents to take ad hoc parcels of leave would make it hard for companies to plan ahead, so we favour parents taking bigger blocks of leave in one go.

"We want to work with the government to make sure the new system works for parents and employers. Any changes will need to be simple to administer and must allow firms to plan ahead to cover staff absences."

[DRSB]

In Switzerland the employer is not obliged to provide cover or keep the working place reserved, he/she is obliged to pay salary for the period specified in the règlement, but he is free to immediately occupy the place otherwise, it is pure good will on his part if he/she does not.

[Coito ergo sum]

In the US, employers with more than 50 employees must give 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth of a child, and the employee must be reinstated to the job if he or she chooses to return. Paid leave is not required. California, and maybe a couple of states in the US, provide for some form of paid leave under state law for the birth of a child. The rules in the US don't distinguish between men and women. A man may take leave to care for a child too, or a sick relative, or care for his or her own medical condition, etc.

I'm surprised the UK discriminates based on sex on this issue. Sounds like they're going to create a much more "leave friendly" and "sex neutral" scheme though.