by Paul Guess, CABA
Shared Parental Leave (SPL) was introduced in April 2015. When asked about it, the then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg explained, ‘more and more fathers want to play a hands-on role with their young children, but too many feel that they can’t.’ The SPL scheme was a way to give more ‘choice’ to families.
Let’s just take a moment to understand what SPL really is. Since April 2015, dads have had a legal right to ask their employers if they can have an extended period of leave from work. People …

It has been announced that mothers returning to work from maternity leave will be protected from redundancy for a minimum of six months. One in nine women stated that following their return to work after having a baby, they were either fired or made redundant. Or they were forced out voluntarily as a result of poor treatment.
This equates to some 54,000 women a year and will go above and beyond the current legal protection period of just two weeks. Charlie Rosier, mother and Co-Founder of creche integrated workspace Cuckooz Nest, …

Last week we looked at Paternity Leave, and this week, with help from the folk at Instant Offices we take a closer look at what maternity leave looks like around the world… and it might not be quite how you think.
Which Countries have the most maternity leave?

COUNTRY
DAYS
WAGES PAID

 
PROVIDER
 

1.       SWEDEN
480
80%
SOCIAL INSURANCE

2.       CROATIA
365+
100%

HEALTH INSURANCE FUND
(until 6 months) – rest paid by State
 

3.       NORWAY
322-365
80-100%
SOCIAL INSURANCE

4.       UK
365

90%
 

Employer (92% refunded by public funds)
 

5.       SERBIA
365
100%
SOCIAL SECURITY

 Which are the Best Industries for Working Mothers?
As a mother, not only do you need time off, and generous pay, but …

 
The birth of a child can be an exhilarating and life-changing experience. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the world through a brand new person’s eyes and watching your child learn and develop new skills. At the same time, however, a new baby creates all sorts of demands for juggling priorities, performing when you are deprived of sleep, and wanting to meet all your responsibilities as best you can.
 
For many women, rejoining the work force after maternity leave can be an overwhelming and emotional experience, particularly if the job …

Whilst every family is different, there are several common issues faced by working parents. Here are some of the top problems that crop up time and time again for working parents, and we look at why they are such big issues for us all and how to tackle them.
Flexibility
There are limited roles that fit around school hours, and those that do don’t tend to pay particularly well.  The popularity recently for zero-hour contracts and shift working with days and hours changing weekly can make it hard to find a …

Some 44% of working mums would consider sharing their maternity leave with their partner, according to Workingmums.co.uk annual survey. The number of women who would consider sharing their leave when the new shared parenting legislation comes in next year has risen by 3% since last year and may in part be due to a rising number of women who are the main breadwinners in their families – over 17% of women who were living with a partner say they are the main breadwinner and only in a small number of …

The majority of new fathers decline full paternity leave entitlement, take fewer sick days than colleagues and demonstrate more company loyalty  
New HR and payroll data analysis from software provider Octopus HR, on paternity leave and the working habits of new dads, has found thatvery few fathers are actually taking the two weeks’ paternity leave to which they are entitled in the UK.
Octopus HR analysed 51,082 records of male employees working full time at 214 companies during a four-year period between 1 June 2010 and 31st May 2014. The data …

Results based on a new survey from Octopus HR

The Valuing Maternity campaign reports, “We are delighted that our campaigning has paid off.  The UN Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has concluded that the Government needs to take action on pregnancy discrimination at work.  In their Concluding Observations, the CEDAW Committee expressed concern at reports of persistent discrimination of pregnant women in employment and their access to justice.

“They recommended that the UK Government ensure women’s access to justice in employment cases, including in cases related to discrimination on grounds of pregnancy and motherhood.  Read our blog for …

Maternity leave can fly by, and before you know it you’re thrown back into the daily grind. When it comes to planning your return to work, there is both the emotional and psychological adjustment to consider. For some this can be a comfortable experience, heading back to a familiar environment, and for others it can be all the more difficult. In these situations it is advisable that you prepare for and plan a back-to-work schedule. Agreeing, in advance, on a suitable return to work transition period is not only beneficial …