Member Article

New maternity laws ?beneficial? to businesses

Lawyers have urged small businesses to look at the positive side of new legislation on maternity leave.

New mothers’ entitlement to statutory maternity pay will be increased from 26 to 39 weeks next spring. Law firm Irwin Mitchell has warned businesses that focusing on the apparently detrimental elements of the changes will cause them to miss out on the potential advantages the new laws could provide.

Simon Coates, national head of employment law at Irwin Mitchell, believes that small businesses can benefit from the new rules in many ways. Mr Coates said although the extended absence may seem like a negative for businesses, managers should remember that firms who supported family friendly working practices in general tended to benefit in other areas.

He said: “Work by Business Link and the Department for Trade and Industry suggests allowing working parents to combine jobs with looking after children helps retain skilled and experienced staff, creates a more diverse workforce, improves employee morale, reduces absenteeism, increases productivity and attracts a wider pool for recruitment, for example.”

Mr Coates said employers should include references to maternity and paternity rights in equality, diversity and work-life balance policies, ensuring these documents reflected the latest legislation. Changes to paternity rights, which could allow mothers who return to work early to transfer up to three months of paid leave to their partners, are expected to come into force by the end of this Parliament.

He added: “Whilst this and extended maternity leave will disrupt some businesses in some ways, the changes do have upsides for bosses too and it’s obviously important they are aware of them and plan for future amendments properly, before they take effect.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .