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Network Journal 2007 Issue 6 Nov/Dec |
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Extra paternity leave delayed for 12 months
New rights for working parents due to come into effect in April 2009 have been put back until April 2010.
The reason for the delay is that employers are asking for more time as they remain confused about what it means for them. They would like more time to estimate the costs involved, to calculate the numbers of working fathers in their companies that might take up the new right and to consider the difficulties they might have finding staff to cover for fathers on 'additional paternity leave.'
The delay means that statutory maternity pay due to be extended from nine months to a whole year (52 weeks) in April 2009 now won't happen until a year later in April 2010.
This in turn affects the introduction of 'additional paternity leave.' Additional paternity leave will allow working parents to decide between them who takes up the last 6 months of maternity leave.
The new right will enable mothers to transfer the second 26 weeks of their maternity leave and pay entitlement to the father. However the introduction of this change is now also delayed and so it won't come into effect either until April 2010.
The Government believe that over 239,000 fathers and partners will be able to take up the new right to 'additional paternity leave' but that only between 10,000 and 19,000 will actually do it.
This is partly due to the fact that the statutory rate of maternity pay is so low when compared to average earnings.
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