David Cameron was warned on Sunday to abandon "hideous" plans to restrict maternity rights amid a cabinet split on trimming back regulation as Britain struggles to recover from the global economic downturn. Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat equalities minister, launched an attack on a venture capitalist who has been asked by Cameron to examine which regulations can be cut. The prime minister commissioned Adrian Beecroft to assess how to reduce the burden on businesses which claim that excessive regulations are hampering their ability to recover from
the worst downturn since the 1930s. Read the full story from the Observer
Parental Leave
INCREASE IN UNPAID PARENTAL LEAVE TO BE POSTPONED BY ONE YEAR
3 February 2012 The government has announced that it is to postpone the extension of the right to unpaid parental leave until 2013 due to the ongoing development of its Modern Workplaces policy. Personnel Today reports: Under the Parental Leave Directive, the parents of a child under the age of five will each have the right to take up to 18 weeks' unpaid parental leave, an extension of five weeks from the current provisions. The Directive from the European Council comes into force on 8 March 2012 but the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has told XpertHR that the Government intends to use a grace period that allows member states to delay implementation of the changes by one year "to take account of particular difficulties". In May 2011, the Government stated that the increase would be incorporated into a system of flexible parental leave as set out in its Modern Workplaces consultation. However, the increase in unpaid paternal leave will come into force ahead of other proposals set out in the consultation, which are expected to come into force in 2015. Susie Munro, employment law editor at XpertHR, commented: "The Government is saying that it is necessary to delay the increase to parental leave due to the ongoing Modern Workplaces policy development, although the parental leave increase seems quite straightforward and will still come in more than two years ahead of the changes to family leave proposed in the Modern Workplaces consultation. View further information on the delay of the increase in parental leave .
Pregnant Workers Directive
UK MINISTERS LOBBY EUROPE AGAINST MATERNITY PROPOSALS
22 June 2011 20 weeks of maternity leave on full pay is still being proposed by European Ministers but the UK are strongly opposed as the measures will be too costly for employers.
CIPP Policy News Journal
09/10/2012, Page 227 of 234
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