Ministers have proposed that maternity leave be reduced to 18 weeks and that instead the remaining leave should become ‘flexible parental leave’, available to both parents.
Currently, mothers are entitled to 39 weeks of paid maternity leave and 13 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Fathers are entitled to two weeks of paid paternity leave.
The proposal put forward in the Government's Modern Workplaces consultation, published last year, would give mothers 18 weeks of maternity leave, and four weeks of reserved paid parental leave, followed by 17 weeks of paid parental leave and 13 weeks of unpaid parental leave, which could be shared between mothers and fathers.
The proposals are likely to be announced in the Queen’s Speech on 9 May and included in the Children and Families Bill in the next parliamentary session.
However, six in ten parents in the Netmums survey of 1,500 mothers said they would find it difficult to ask for more time off from their employer if they were required to request it after 18 weeks of maternity leave.
The results also showed that while some fathers would be keen to take ‘shared leave’, the likelihood of fathers being able to do so was low.
Seventeen per cent of mothers said their partner would be keen to take shared leave, 28 per cent said that he might want to but it wouldn’t happen in practice, and a further 41 per cent said that the family would not be able to afford to take the time off.
Sally Russell, the founder of Netmums, said, ‘Women are very strongly saying that 18 weeks of maternity leave is not enough. It is possible to have a system that works for mums and dads, but this isn’t it.
‘The findings show that an 18 week limit may well push women out of employment and the result will be the opposite of what the Government are trying to achieve.’
Research by Working Families also reveals employers’ reservations about the 18-week proposal.
Nine of 11 employers questioned by Working Families raised concerns, such as the likelihood of higher absenteeism among women returning to work before they were ready, costs of rearranging leave cover if plans change, and the importance of retaining women’s skills.
The employers questioned employed between 15 and 90,000 staff and overall employ more than 300,000 people.
Viv Matthews, head of HR at law firm Henmans LLP, based in Oxford, said that the proposals was ‘a retrograde step’.
‘We know that women value spending longer at home bonding with their new child, she said.
‘Working mums find it hard to return even after six or twelve months, and we want to ensure they are fit and ready when they do.
‘We support the aim to provide more choice in families but in reality few fathers will take up shared leave. Reducing maternity leave to18 weeks may lead to long term costs to employers.’
Seventeen members of the Working Parents Group have written a joint letter to business minister Norman Lamb and to minister for women and equality, Theresa May, calling on the Government to rethink the proposal.
The group warns that a new presumption of 18 weeks could harm equality in the workplace and bring "hidden costs" to business if women return too soon.
Working Families’ chief executive, Sarah Jackson said, ‘This isn’t just about what women want: some of our top employers are warning of hidden costs to business if women come back too soon.
‘We urge the Government to think again: 18 weeks of maternity leave is simply too short for women’s wellbeing and for business success.’
WHAT MOTHERS SAID
- "(18 weeks) is no way enough time to bond with your new baby.’
- ‘It should stay as it is. Women shouldn’t have to negotiate time with baby at such a crucial age.’
- ‘If I had to negotiate longer than 18 weeks it would have been very difficult to continue breastfeeding as I did up to a year. I would have had no choice but to stop work.’
- ‘I suffered from severe post-natal depression and if I had to go back to work and suffer the guilt of leaving my child in nursery on top of the illness, I would have killed myself. My employer would have wanted me back as soon as they legally could but I would not have been ready. I simply couldn’t have coped. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to ask for longer and even if I had, I would have felt equally bad about letting my team down for not being there.’
- ‘It’s hard enough telling your employer you’re taking maternity leave, having to negotiate extra maternity leave so soon after birth is just an added stress.’
The letter to ministers was signed by Bliss, Child Poverty Action Group, Citizens Advice, Family Lives, Fawcett Society, Maternity Action, Mothers Union, National Childbirth Trust, NUJ, Prospect, Twins and Multiple Births Association (TAMBA), TUC, Unite, UNISON, University and College Union, Usdaw, and Working Families.
