The Government announced recently that it would be consulting soon on regulations to give families new leave rights that will, it claims, give more choice and flexibility to parents as to how they use maternity and paternity leave.
The new rights will be available during the second six months of the child’s life and would be an option if the mother has maternity leave outstanding. Under the new scheme families will have the choice to transfer up to six months leave to the father if they want to. This can be taken by the father once the mother has returned to work.
It will be available during the second six months of the child’s life, giving parents the option of dividing a period of paid leave entitlement between them. Some of the leave may be paid if taken during the mother’s 39 week maternity pay period and would be paid at the same rate as Statutory Maternity Pay, currently £123.06.
Parents would be required to “self certify” by providing details of their eligibility to their employer. Employers and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs would both be able to carry out further checks of entitlement if necessary.
In order to give employers time to adjust the new right will be introduced for parents of children due on or after 3 April 2011. The Government estimates that take-up of additional paternity leave will be less than six per cent and that it will affect 0.7 per cent, or one in every 137, of all small businesses.
To read the press release, go to: www.wired-gov.net