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Government announces plans for fathers to ‘share’ maternity leave
The Government has announced that consultation will start shortly on proposals to allow new mothers to transfer some of their maternity leave entitlement to their baby’s father
Under new proposals, mothers of babies over six months old with maternity leave outstanding (from their total of 52 weeks), will be able to transfer up to six months of any remaining leave to the father when they return to work.
The government has also announced that it will not be increasing the period for which statutory maternity pay is paid from 39 to 52 weeks, as had previously been proposed.
If the leave is taken during the mother’s 39-week period of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) then that ‘transferred’ leave would be paid to the father at the same rate as (SMP). Any additional ‘transferred’ leave would be unpaid.
It is intended that the law will come into force by 2010, but will only apply to parents of children born on or after 3 April 2011, so as to allow employers time to adjust to the final measures.
Under new proposals, mothers of babies over six months old with maternity leave outstanding (from their total of 52 weeks), will be able to transfer up to six months of any remaining leave to the father when they return to work.
The government has also announced that it will not be increasing the period for which statutory maternity pay is paid from 39 to 52 weeks, as had previously been proposed.
If the leave is taken during the mother’s 39-week period of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) then that ‘transferred’ leave would be paid to the father at the same rate as (SMP). Any additional ‘transferred’ leave would be unpaid.
It is intended that the law will come into force by 2010, but will only apply to parents of children born on or after 3 April 2011, so as to allow employers time to adjust to the final measures.
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Posted on 07 Oct 2009 by helen
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