Parental leave rules to be announced today
Filed under:
Family
Britain's Deputy Prime Minister will unveil plans to allow new parents to share leave.
Nick Clegg wants to break away from the “old-fashioned assumption” that women, rather than men, prefer to stay home to mind their children.
The proposals have been the subject of a hot debate with the Institute of Directors saying it will be a “nightmare for small businesses.” The Confederation of British Industry however, said it was pleased to see the Government showing some concern.
From April 2015, parents will be allowed to take 52 weeks of shared leave with new mothers obliged to take the first two weeks for recovery and baby-bonding.
Mothers will then be able to give their partner the rest of the time off which can mean up to a year off no work. Equally, parents could split the time between them, provided that they are both in employment.
The first 39 weeks of shared leave will be paid at minimum and the weeks remaining will be unpaid.
The Deputy Prime Minister said: ‘Women deserve the right to pursue their goals and not feel they have to choose between having a successful career or having a baby.
