Parental leave to be made more flexible

Under new plans announced by the government, parental leave is to become more flexible.

It revealed that the second six months of maternity leave will be transferable between parents, with half of this time paid.

Describing the move as a "family-friendly policy", minister for women and equality Harriet Harman said it will provide households with more choice in terms of how they balance work and childcare.

Responding to the development, Sarah Jackson, chief executive officer of Working Families, stated: "This small step will begin to make fathers visible at work and may help employers reconsider outdated assumptions that care for a new baby will automatically be 100 per cent the responsibility of the mother."

She went on to say that the move may mark a step forward in terms of the attitudes of employers to new parents.

Meanwhile, business minister Pat McFadden assured firms that the government will work with them to make sure the impact of the changes is not too burdensome.
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16/09/2009 15:18

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