A draft EU Directive, proposes increasing compulsory maternity leave from 2 and 4 weeks for office and factory workers respectively to 6 weeks.
Other key proposals include: increasing maternity pay, giving a longer time off for multiple births and commencing maternity leave earlier than the current 11 weeks before the expected week of childbirth.
If approved, the Government fears that this will increase pressure on struggling businesses and the Treasury’s social security bill will increase. The Government also believes that flexibility for women to manage their career and raising a family could be restricted.
It will be interesting to see whether these draft proposals are approved by the EC.
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