Further to the European Commission's proposal in 2008 to amend the Pregnant Workers Directive, the government has now issued a consultation document.
As the UK system is in many ways already more generous than the proposed minimum standards set by the European Commission, the government suggests in the document that their proposals should be viewed in the light of the UK’s existing provisions.
The most significant proposal is the introduction of full pay during maternity leave with member states able to specify a ceiling, as long as the cap is at least equal to the amount of sick pay a woman would receive.
The government says it will seek to clarify the level of the permitted cap but assumes it would be able to retain its current rate of statutory maternity pay as a ceiling on maternity pay, as this would be more than the statutory sick pay a woman would receive.
The other significant proposal is an extension to the current period of compulsory leave from two to six weeks after the birth.
The consultation closes on 22 June and can be found at www.berr.gov.uk.