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Paid maternity leave changes 'will help new mothers'
02/04/2007
Changes have been made to the payment conditions for women on maternity leave, which will help new mothers on their return work, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
Paid maternity leave has been extended from six to nine months, while new "keeping in touch" days have been organised to ensure employees and employers remain in contact during the time off.
A total of ten "keeping in touch" days have been set aside for the maternity leave period, which will allow women to keep abreast of changes in the workplace while they are absent, the CBI states.
Despite being positive about the new legislation, the CBI indicates that more needs to be done to help businesses deal with the loss of an employee for such a sustained period of time.
"A further three months' statutory maternity pay will be a welcome support for many new mothers," said the CBI's director of human resources policy Susan Anderson.
"But the government must provide real support for small employers struggling to manage and administer the long-term absence of employees on maternity leave."
Paid maternity leave has been extended from six to nine months, while new "keeping in touch" days have been organised to ensure employees and employers remain in contact during the time off.
A total of ten "keeping in touch" days have been set aside for the maternity leave period, which will allow women to keep abreast of changes in the workplace while they are absent, the CBI states.
Despite being positive about the new legislation, the CBI indicates that more needs to be done to help businesses deal with the loss of an employee for such a sustained period of time.
"A further three months' statutory maternity pay will be a welcome support for many new mothers," said the CBI's director of human resources policy Susan Anderson.
"But the government must provide real support for small employers struggling to manage and administer the long-term absence of employees on maternity leave."