Published: 28 June 2006
New rights and benefits for working parents and carers
The newly enabled Work and Families Bill is set to offer new rights to working parents and carers and new benefits to business.
Working parents stand to benefit from new rights to more maternity and paternity leave and pay, whilst for the very first time, carers of adults will be given a right to request flexible working recognising the difficulties many carers face in juggling work with caring responsibilities.
Businesses will also benefit from a package of measures designed to make life easier for employers.
Trade and Industry Secretary Alistair Darling said:
"Thousands of working families and carers are set to benefit from the legislation.
The new rights have been introduced following consultations with businesses, and will benefit employers by helping them plan ahead and manage maternity leave with greater certainty."
The new Work and Families Act 2006 entitles working parents to:
· Nine months Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay and Maternity Allowance from April 2007 with the ambition to increase this to a year's paid leave by the end of the Parliament.
The Government estimates that about 400,000 mothers per year will benefit from this.
· A new right to an additional period of paternity leave for fathers, which will be introduced alongside the extension of Statutory Maternity Pay, Adoption Pay and Maternity Allowance to 12 months.
This will enable them to benefit from leave and statutory pay if the mother returns to work after six months but before the end of her maternity leave period.
The Government estimates that between 240,000 and 280,000 fathers will benefit from this.
· The introduction of 'Keeping in Touch' days so that where employees and employers agree, a women on maternity leave can go into work for a few days, without losing her right to maternity leave or a week's statutory pay.
Under the new Work and Families legislation businesses will benefit from:
· Measures to help them better manage the administration of Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Adoption Pay.
· A two month notice period for women changing their return to work dates from maternity leave.
This will allow employees and employers to plan more effectively for return to work.
· Clarity that employers can make reasonable contact with their employees on maternity leave to help them with planning and easing the mother's return to work.
Further information
Work and Families Bill
Work and Families - DTI
Working Families
Carers UK
Working time and time off - BusinessLink
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