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NEWS & EVENTS
| Businesses on standby for Maternity changes 21/09/2010 Business in the region should be on standby next month for a vote in the European parliament next month, which could increase their staff costs.
The proposal before the parliament is that maternity rights are extended to provide 20 weeks on full pay compared with the current situation in the UK, which is six weeks at 90% of pay followed by 33 weeks at statutory maternity pay, currently £125. Some commentators have said that if the changes are passed, they will cost UK businesses £2.5 billion a year Speaking about the proposals, Phil Cookson, employment specialist at city based Roythornes solicitors said: "If they are voted through, there will no doubt be some time before they are implemented in the UK, and although it will mean additional costs for some employers, we need to make the workplace as fair and family friendly as possible so this would be a step in the right direction. Many employers already pay more that the statutory minimum, so the actual impact may not be as dramatic as many think it will be, but employers need to keep and eye on the vote so they can prepare for any changes that follow." |
