The rules for maternity pay
and leave are complex and things may be set
to become more complicated for employers and
more generous for employees.
At present mothers who meet pay and length
of service criteria will be entitled to a year
off work, nine months of which is paid Statutory
Maternity Pay (SMP). For most women all but
the first six weeks of their SMP is paid at £112.75
a week.
The government propose to increase the payment
period for SMP to a year, to match the leave
period, and allow six months of this pay and
leave to be transferred from the mother to
the father as Additional Paternity Leave (APL)
and pay.
The government has opened further consultation
on the introduction of APL and pay for fathers.
The consultation deals with some of the practical
aspects of the scheme’s administration
including:
- the notification by the father and
mother to the father’s employer that
he intends to take APL and pay (notification
will not be made to the mother’s employer)
- the form of the notice and the notice
period required, and
- the procedures where the mother and
father’s circumstances change and they
want to amend the proposed leave dates.
The
government has stated its intention to keep
the APL and pay scheme as straightforward
as possible for employers and employees.
The government’s goal is to bring in
APL and pay at the same time as extending SMP
from 39 weeks to 52 weeks which they hope to
achieve by the end of this parliament. This
will mean that both parents could choose to
take an equal amount of paid leave. The earliest
proposed date that APL and pay will be implemented
will be for babies due on or after 5 April
2009.
To have your say in the consultation or read
more about the proposals visit the link below.
Internet link:
DTI consultation
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