Network Journal 2007 Issue 1 Jan/Feb

Legal boost for working carers

The Work and Families Act has introduced some important changes to maternity rights, adoption rights and the right to request flexible working, writes acting Equalities Officer Jo Bird.

Usdaw has campaigned long and hard for improvements to maternity and paternity rights and we welcome the improvement in rights the Act introduces.

The changes will make a real difference to our members' lives.

Usdaw is currently in the process of updating all of its literature and the new Maternity and Parental Rights Pack will be available by the end of March.

The most important changes are outlined below. The Act:

• Extends the pay period of Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay and Maternity Allowance from 26 weeks to 39 weeks from April 2007. This is to rise to a full 12 months (52 weeks) from April 2009.
• Ensures all women are able to benefit from this longer period of statutory maternity pay by removing the qualifying service condition for Additional Maternity Leave (this is the second six months of leave). At the moment women have to have at least 26 weeks service by the 'qualifying week' to be entitled to Additional Maternity Leave.
• Ensures that Maternity Allowance and Statutory Maternity Pay can start on any day of the week helping to prevent women from missing out on much needed pay.
• Introduces 'Keeping in Touch' days allowing women to return to work for up to a maximum of 10 days without losing maternity or adoption pay, and without bringing their maternity or adoption leave to an end.
• Increases the notice that women who want to return to work earlier or later than originally planned from 28 days to eight weeks.
• Extends the right to request flexible working to carers, (to qualify as a carer an employee needs 26 weeks service with an employer). The person to be cared for must either be married to, be the partner or civil partner of the employee, or a near relative of the employee or falls in neither category but lives at the same address as the employee. Near relative includes parents, parents-in-laws, grown up children, adopted grown up children, siblings (including those who are in-laws) uncles, aunts, grandparents and step relatives.

Meanwhile, childcare costs for pre-school children continue to rise with parents facing a weekly average bill of around £152 a week, says a new survey.

The Daycare Trust report said prices had risen more than inflation in 2006 although the cost of after school clubs had fallen with typical costs of around £38 for 15 hours a week.

More information at: www.daycaretrust.org.uk

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