Right now, the government has created proposals to alter the current maternity and paternity leave system. Dads could get more leave, taking over a proportion of the mother’s leave if she chooses to go back to work after 20 weeks. And small firms employing 10 staff or less could get an exemption from offering some maternity and paternity rights.  From my point of view, the first proposal has lots to recommend it, while the second is scary and could drive mums back to work before they and their baby are …

Millions of women have returned to work just weeks after giving birth because they can’t afford to stay home, a study conducted on behalf of Philips AVENT reveals. Eight out of ten new mums head back to the office because they are ‘in desperate need of money’, while only one in five return to work because they love their job.

Today ministers meeting at the EU Employment and Social Affairs Council on Monday 6 December will be discussing the European Parliament’s proposals to extend maternity leave to 20 weeks and possibly change it from partial pay to full pay. I know that Family Friendly Working is read by a good mix of parents and small business owners, and I’d love to know your views on this.

Helen Lindop has launched an e-book for new mums who want to start their own businesses. The book is called ‘Business Plus Baby: Ten things you need to know if you’re starting a business and have a baby’.
Many new mums expect to return to work after their maternity leave ends, but find their priorities change once their baby arrives. Faced with a choice of working full-time, taking a poorly-paid part time job or giving up work altogether, many are starting businesses instead.