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Plan to increase paid maternity leave to 20 weeks passed by EU committee
Draft legislation to extend maternity leave to 20 weeks on full pay has been passed by a European Parliament committee.
The women's rights committee voted in favour of extending maternity leave provisions through the Pregnant Workers Directive.
Current European laws give pregnant women 14 weeks fully paid leave, while in the UK women are given a year off with the first six weeks on 90% pay followed by 33 weeks on statutory maternity pay of £123 a week.
The new proposals – effectively trebling maternity pay in the UK – mean businesses could be faced with a £2bn burden.
Although the government currently reimburses firms for the bulk of statutory maternity pay, business leaders said the scale of the increase could see companies ordered to shoulder more of the burden.
The proposed legislation has also sparked concerns that employers could discriminate against women of child-bearing age because of the increased costs of their potential maternity leave.
Sources - www.personneltoday.com & www.workplacelaw.net
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