Changes to the Sex Discrimination Act will affect pension contributions during maternity leave. Changes to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (SDA), which came into effect on 6 April 2008, requires employers to continue paying pension benefits for emp  More...
11 June 2008 00:00

A coaching scheme for pregnant workers helped law firm Clifford Chance improve its maternity practices and hang on to some of its most talented staff. Lucy Freeman reports.   More...
04 June 2008 12:01

New maternity leave guidance in relation to non-cash benefits has been published by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs department. It comes ahead of changes to the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), which will affect women whose expected week of c  More...
03 June 2008 12:00

Maternity leave still causes major headaches for employers, according to a legal expert. Audrey Williams, head of discrimination law at law firm Eversheds, warned that despite laws against sex discrimination, a sharp rise in claims against emp  More...
07 May 2008 08:01

Three-quarters of Brit bosses would not take on a new recruit if they knew they would fall pregnant within six months of starting work, new research has indicated. A survey of 1,100 bosses, conducted by Employment Law Advisory Services (ELAS), found  More...
21 April 2008 11:00

When is it the right time for a woman to inform her employer that she is pregnant?  More...
21 April 2008 10:03

EXCLUSIVE Changes to maternity law introduced earlier this month could see employers lumbered with huge costs in forking out for unforeseen pension payments for women on maternity leave. Employment experts have warned that under amendments to the  More...
21 April 2008 08:00

HR news and analysis including: legal experts warn that maternity law changes made this month could cost employers huge amounts of money in pension contributions Metropolitan Police HR director Martin Tiplady discusses the need to ramp up  More...
18 April 2008 15:40

Q I’m an HR co-ordinator. My boss’s remit covers dealing with staff on maternity leave. One of my friends – from another department within the same company – is currently on maternity leave. I know that she has decided not to come back, but hasn’t yet   More...
08 April 2008 14:00

How long does someone have to work for you before they qualify for statutory maternity pay? What is the national minimum wage for a 19-year-old? How much ordinary adoption leave is an employee entitled to? in association with   More...
04 April 2008 10:46

KPMG has launched a new maternity and parenting package for its employees, as it predicts that it will become more difficult for carers of children to balance work and home demands in the future. The professional services firm's My Family Matte  More...
31 March 2008 11:45

HR news and analysis including: Newcastle College buys a major part of Carter & Carter from administrators the European Council reviews UK information and consultation regulations and following Harriet Harman's refusal to rule out positive   More...
28 March 2008 14:19

New parents would be able to take up to 26 weeks' leave together if they wished under Conservative proposals. The government plans to extend maternity leave to 52 weeks by 2010. After the first 26 weeks, parents would be able to choose whether t  More...
17 March 2008 10:27

Maternity leave can be a minefield for HR. You may well be delighted for the expectant mother, but there's also a good chance that you are worried about managing her leave, concerned about the suitability of her replacement, and mindful of the legal iss  More...
17 March 2008 10:00

Do women on maternity leave accrue holidays? Can they keep their company cars? What about bonuses, health insurance and pension contributions? The law on this subject can be confusing and employers are often given conflicting advice.   More...
17 March 2008 08:00

HR news and analysis including: Welfare reform criticisms – why minister James Purnell’s new rules may disadvantage the disabled Carter & Carter training provider: why did it go into administration and will if affect the skills sector? Inc  More...
14 March 2008 14:55

To a non-lawyer, the idea of the European Court of Justice having to decide the point at which a pregnancy technically 'begins' may seem far-fetched - bizarre, even - particularly when the case in question is actually one about employment rights. But  More...
13 March 2008 12:14

Mayr v Backerei und Konditorei Gerhard Flockner OHG FACTS This case was referred to the European Court of Justice by the Austrian courts. The ECJ was asked to rule on the meaning of a 'pregnant worker' for the purpose of the EU Pregnant Work  More...
13 March 2008 11:26

HR news and analysis including: Could TUPE law be about to change with respect to private equity takeovers? Tomorrow is International Women's Day so we look at the scale of the gender pay gap in the UK and B&Q has been training its staff to  More...
07 March 2008 15:13

Two members of a relatively small sales team got married last year, and the woman is now five months pregnant. They are both key employees in terms of bringing in work for the whole business. We are concerned that they have requested to take leave at th  More...
14 January 2008 13:06

A senior sales executive has won a sex discrimination claim against her employer, after her boss called her "useless" for becoming pregnant. Louise Manning could be awarded up to £200,000 after a tribunal in Kent heard how she was told that s  More...
08 January 2008 14:30

A poll of 513 UK managers showed that while 39% think the loans crisis will damage their companies in 2008, 42% fear the effect of greater maternity and paternity leave. Maternity leave was extended to 52 weeks, with statutory pay for 39 weeks, for   More...
20 December 2007 11:35

While I agree with Michael Millar's concept of equalising maternity and paternity leave to give both parents an equal stake in childcare duties ( Personnel Today, 6 November ) what about the single mums who don't have another parent to share the load wi  More...
27 November 2007 00:00

I read Michael Millar's 'Bye Bye Baby' article (Off Message, Personnel Today , 6 November) with interest during the 2am feed, and I think that the proposal by Fathers Direct , Michael's own ideas and the lobby group Kidding Aside (reported in  More...
27 November 2007 00:00

The government's proposals to extend flexible working rights to parents of teenage children will have pronounced benefits for both the work-life balance of the individuals involved and the companies for which they work ( Personnel Today, 13 Novemb  More...
27 November 2007 00:00

Millions of people across the UK routinely provide unpaid care by looking after an ill, frail or disabled family member or friend. In addition to their caring responsibilities, many of these individuals are also in regular employment. Staff who fal  More...
29 October 2007 08:00

The most burdensome pieces of employment law faced by small businesses are statutory dismissal and grievance procedures, and parental, paternity and maternity leave/pay . A study by the Federation of Small Businesses has rev  More...
24 October 2007 10:09

The government's focus on childcare leave should switch from women to men to help eradicate the gender pay gap, according to a leading equalities campaigner. Duncan Fisher, chief executive of lobby group Fathers Direct, has called on the government t  More...
22 October 2007 08:00

Most humna resources (HR) practitioners believe that statutory maternity pay (SMP) is set at too low a level, according to research by Personnel Today's sister publication, Employment Review . The survey of 185 practitioners found that six in 10   More...
08 October 2007 11:40

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against financial news service Bloomberg after it said the company discriminated against three women who took maternity leave. It said Bloomberg management demoted the three high-lev  More...
05 October 2007 15:27

Working mothers taking advantage of their full 12-months' maternity leave could be about to become more expensive for employers. The UK government is expected to introduce legislation on 1 October giving women the same rights in the additional seco  More...
18 September 2007 08:10

Maternity, paternity and adoption rights for babies due on or after 1 April 2007 are discussed below in a question and answer format. At the end of this article you will find further information about the rights of new parents, both on our site and on   More...
01 August 2007 17:23

The government has outlined more detailed paternity proposals that would enable parents to swap some paid leave between the mother and father. A DTI consultation paper, which ends on 3 August 2007, sets out the idea that fathers could claim up to   More...
13 June 2007 00:00

Blundell v St Andrews Catholic Primary School When is a job not the same job? That was the question considered in Blundell v St Andrews Catholic Primary School , where for the first time the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) considered the crit  More...
05 June 2007 00:00

Employers have welcomed government plans to come up with a simple system of transferring maternity leave to fathers. Last week, the government launched a consultation on new paternity leave proposals . The scheme would allow mothers to pass some o  More...
18 May 2007 15:24

A consultation on new paternity leave proposals that would enable parents to share paid time off have been published by the government. The proposals are designed to give working parents more choice in their caring responsibilities. The  More...
14 May 2007 11:30

Almost a quarter of nursery places are now unfilled as a result of more flexible parenting rights which enable mothers to care for their young children, according to research. A report published by market analyst Laing and Buisson (L&G) f  More...
01 May 2007 12:55

Reading comments from the likes of Caroline Joy ( 'Urgent need for a change in attitude over working mums', Letters, Personnel Today , 10 April), makes me want to scream out loud. Not for the same reasons as Joy, but more because of the naivety an  More...
01 May 2007 00:00

Most employers expect difficulty coping with the introduction of new rights for workers with family responsibilities this week, research  has found . Employers believe the implementation of new legal rights for working mothers and fathers, man  More...
02 April 2007 09:00

The government’s response to a High Court ruling that it failed to properly implement the European Equal Treatment Directive within UK law is not expected to be made public until Monday (19 March). A judge ordered trade and industry secretary   More...
16 March 2007 14:13

The High Court has ruled the government failed to properly implement the European Equal Treatment Directive within the UK regulations that protect women from discrimination . The judge ordered that trade and industry secretary Alistair Da  More...
14 March 2007 11:38

The government went to court on Wednesday to defend its translation of European sex equality laws. Judicial review proceedings were lodged by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) over the implementation of the European Equal Treatme  More...
28 February 2007 08:58

The practical implications of changes to the maternity regulations coming into force in April are likely to mean some changes to best practice for employers. Q One of our employees has asked whether she will be entitled to the holiday she a  More...
27 February 2007 00:00

A pregnant finance manager who was told to choose between her unborn baby or her job has won a sex discrimination case against her former employer. Angela Hildreth claimed her former bosses at the Perdu bar and restaurant in Newcastle-upon-Tyne iss  More...
19 February 2007 16:20

We have an employee who has recently started ordinary maternity leave (OML). She will therefore be on OML over the Bank Holidays that fall during the Christmas and New Year period. Do we have to pay the employee for these days, or alternatively give her  More...
12 December 2006 00:00

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has published guidance for employers and employees on maternity leave regulations under the Work and Families Act 2006 . The guidance outlines the notice requirements to be given to the employer   More...
09 November 2006 11:21

We have an employee returning to work during additional maternity leave. She lost her baby and as a result cannot continue in her job as a cabin attendant. Is the company obliged to find a suitable job for her, and do we have to match her pay? T  More...
07 November 2006 00:00

Recent coverage on maternity and adoption leave in Personnel Today and on XpertHR.co.uk has suggested that these have been harmonised. Perhaps I am unusual in having two adopted children and being a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel an  More...
24 October 2006 08:00

As long as they are well-managed, keeping-in-touch days could be just what employers need.  More...
10 October 2006 08:00

Hundreds of thousands of working mothers are set to receive an increase in paid maternity leave as the first changes under the government's Work and Families Act are introduced . Businesses will also benefit from a package of measures designed t  More...
03 October 2006 09:36

We employ five staff in our accounts department, including a couple who are expecting their first child in April. They wish to take time off after the birth and jointly share childcare responsibilities. The husband has already spoken with his line manag  More...
26 September 2006 08:00

Work-life balance charity Working Families is launching a new mobile phone text service where fathers can ask questions about their paternity rights and the right to request flexible working. From April next year the Work and Families Act will   More...
25 September 2006 14:00

Employers need to tread carefully with issues such as IVF, says XpertHR.  More...
13 September 2006 00:00

Business leaders are concerned about the cost of the extension of maternity leave and the transfer of the administrative burden of maternity benefits from the government to employers  More...
05 September 2006 09:58

A new mother who is working for us has requested a change to her hours so she can breastfeed, but ours isn't the kind of business where we can agree to flexible hours for breastfeeding. Could we be accused of sexual discrimination if we say no? Em  More...
11 July 2006 00:00

Guy Guinan, employment partner, national law firm Halliwells, provides advice on drawing up a maternity and paternity leave policy.  More...
05 July 2006 08:00

One of my key female employees has told me that she and her partner are starting fertility treatment. Apparently, this could involve a considerable amount of time off. How should I handle this and what are her rights? One in seven couples in the UK   More...
13 June 2006 00:20

XpertHR answers questions on maternity leave rights  More...
16 May 2006 08:00

Risk assessments for pregnant workers   More...
16 May 2006 08:00

While the number of mothers taking their full maternity leave entitlement is rising, only 36% of fathers take more than two weeks paternity leave  More...
03 April 2006 09:16

Sarah Keeble, employment partner, Olswang  More...
21 March 2006 08:00

Quinn v New Southern Railway Ltd, EAT, 28 November 2005  More...
14 March 2006 08:00

Lack of finances forces quick return to work for new mums.  More...
27 January 2006 10:15

The government has reportedly scrapped a ground-breaking scheme designed to get more women to return to work in the NHS   More...
17 January 2006 11:54

As increasing numbers of women leave having children until later in their careers, will maternity coaching catch on as a training tool? Stephanie Sparrow examines the possibilities  More...
17 January 2006 00:00

Three-quarters of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the UK believe that maternity and paternity leave is not a problematic issue for their company, according to new research  More...
19 December 2005 12:27

Individual liability for discrimination  More...
29 November 2005 00:00

An unmarried teacher who was sacked from a New York Catholic school for being pregnant is suing for unfair dismissal  More...
23 November 2005 12:07

Maternity leave and communication  More...
15 November 2005 00:00

Adele Morris, partner at Magrath & Co, answers this week's dilemma  More...
08 November 2005 00:00

Following extensive consultation, the new Work and Families Bill has been published   More...
01 November 2005 00:00

The government has today confirmed plans to give new fathers the right to take up to six months' paternity leave. Maternity pay will also increase to nine months, under the Work and Families Bill.  More...
19 October 2005 11:25

Employers have been told not to worry about the right to extended unpaid paternity leave, as it is likely to be ignored by new fathers.  More...
18 October 2005 00:00

Suggestions that the forthcoming Work and Families Bill will include a right to six months unpaid paternity leave have alarmed business leaders, who warn of an administrative nightmare  More...
10 October 2005 09:35

Mothers and fathers should have a right to share childcare leave, the Equal Opportunities Commission tells the government  More...
10 October 2005 09:00

Sick-pay schemes and pregnancy-related illness North Western Health Board v McKenna, European Court of Justice, 8 September 2005  More...
27 September 2005 00:00

Paid maternity leave boost for nurses and widwives.  More...
24 August 2005 08:00

Pope Benedict XVI is expected to continue his predecessors' left-leaning stance on labour, while pursuing their ultra-conservative line on matters of personal morality  More...
19 July 2005 08:02

Kerstie Skeaping, an associate at law firm Halliwells, looks at the Equal Opportunities Commission's report on discrimination of pregnant women in the workplace  More...
12 July 2005 00:00

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has updated its maternity policy to offer salary increases across the board to all staff, including those who have taken unpaid additional maternity leave  More...
04 July 2005 12:40

One in 10 women say they are made to feel a burden at their workplace while they were pregnant.  More...
30 June 2005 09:00

More than seven in 10 pregnant women treated unfairly at work are suffering in silence.  More...
30 June 2005 09:00

Three student midwives who were denied their bursary income during their maternity leave have won their case against the NHS at an Employment Appeal Tribunal.   More...
03 June 2005 11:00

Second six months of parenting leave should be shared, EOC tells DTI   More...
25 May 2005 15:25

Everything you need to know about managing pregnancy at work  More...
24 May 2005 12:42

Woman was not promoted alongside other graduate trainees because she had been on maternity leave and received a lower pay rise than colleagues and continues to be paid less   More...
12 May 2005 15:00

XpertHR answers questions on employees' right to parental leave, and employers' obligations  More...
10 May 2005 00:00

Michelle Alabaster's lengthy, high-profile case against the Woolwich - now part of Barclays - ended in success last week. Supported by the Equal Opportunities Commission, her claim that the building society owed her an additional £204.53 in maternity  More...
10 May 2005 00:00

The Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of a mother who claimed she was owed a pay rise while on maternity leave.  More...
03 May 2005 11:42

New regulations, which came into force on Wednesday, have changed the rules for calculating statutory maternity pay in favour of mothers and could cause problems for employers, according to legal experts.  More...
08 April 2005 10:10

Education secretary Ruth Kelly is backing a national campaign by retail union Usdaw to boost the rights of working mothers.  More...
31 March 2005 10:45

The Conservatives have promised extra money for childcare and maternity leave  More...
29 March 2005 00:37

More dads intend to stay at home after the birth of their first child despite the financial difficulties it creates.  More...
23 March 2005 07:40

Women are being forced to return to work before their six months' maternity period has finished, research shows.  More...
11 March 2005 09:10

Businesses paying maternity benefit will face higher costs and more red tape after a new ruling by the European Court of Justice.  More...
07 March 2005 12:35

Women's groups say the proposed flat-rate maternity benefit will be too little for most women to be able to take a year off after the birth of a child  More...
01 March 2005 10:30

Government must provide an administrative system to co-ordinate the new arrangements, said the CBI   More...
01 March 2005 09:10

Union leaders have welcomed government proposals to boost maternity pay and time off for new mothers.  More...
01 March 2005 09:00

Government adds transferable maternity rights and extended flexible working rights to proposals for improved maternity arrangements  More...
28 February 2005 12:15

Some business groups have expressed concern that maternity pay is to rise and will last nine months by 2007, with futher improvements for workers promised in the next parliament  More...
28 February 2005 10:30

Confusion about maternity laws is likely to increase with more legislation on the horizon. Alison Clarke maps out how to find your way through the red tape   More...
07 February 2005 10:00

Other employers can take a lesson from how retailers accomodate expectant mothers in their employ, says British Retail Consortium  More...
03 February 2005 12:30

Surveys reveal the extent of discrimination against women of childbearing age.  More...
03 February 2005 08:00

Almost half of pregnant women say they have been discriminated against, and 21 per cent say they lost out financially  More...
02 February 2005 12:30

Small firms do not want to administer maternity benefits for the government, and they think mothres should be obliged to keep them informed about plans to return to work  More...
02 February 2005 00:00

We've had quite a rash of maternity and paternity leave which, even with the best of interim cover, has left all sorts of cracks  More...
01 February 2005 00:00

Women will be offered £170-a-week maternity pay for six months as part of a package of family-friendly policies unveiled by the Liberal Democrat party.  More...
25 January 2005 10:45

A Japanese city where no male municipal worker has ever taken a day of paternity leave is to force employees who become fathers to take time off and familiarise themselves with childcare.   More...
18 January 2005 00:00

Employees want flexible work arrangements nearly as much as good salaries   More...
05 January 2005 11:55

It's pre-Budget time again, and the less cynical among you will notice that chancellor Gordon Brown has been paying close attention to his weekly copy of Personnel Today. Upskilling and extensions to employee rights feature heavily in his report, and   More...
07 December 2004 11:10

Business leaders have raised concerns about Gordon Brown’s plans for extended maternity leave, although there was broad approval for the chancellor’s commitment to improving the UK’s skills base. In his pre-Budget report last week, Brown announced tha  More...
07 December 2004 09:30

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has added its voice to the growing concerns from business over the Government's announcement that it will extend maternity leave. Simon Sweetman, vice-chairman of the FSB's taxation committee, said the propo  More...
02 December 2004 15:40

Productivity will suffer if flexible working rights for employees are extended, according to a new survey. The Government has said it will extend flexible working rights for mothers and fathers, with maternity leave being increased from six months to   More...
01 December 2004 10:15

Mothers will soon be able to take a year's paid maternity leave, in plans to be announced this week. The move, to be unveiled by Tony Blair, is aimed at providing an expansion of childcare to help parents achieve a better work-life balance. The Prime   More...
29 November 2004 16:00

Business should be given the 'green light' to ask when staff will return from maternity leave, the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) has said. At present staff are not obliged to notify their employer when they plan to return to work while on mater  More...
16 November 2004 08:40

HR professionals have called for simplified legislation and a single code of employer practice to help organisations manage pregnant staff. In exclusive research from Personnel Today and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), which questioned almos  More...
16 November 2004 08:30

The Equal Opportunities Commission's research in this issue reveals that managing pregnancy at work does not come naturally to employers. Nic Paton talks to three organisations about their approach   More...
16 November 2004 00:00

 It's hardly a new issue for employers - but despite its prevalence, many managers still seem flummoxed by pregnancy. The business case for providing decent maternity leave and support, and flexible working for new parents has been repeated ad n  More...
16 November 2004 00:00

Fathers would be able to share up to a year's paid leave from work with their partners after the birth of a baby, under proposals to be unveiled by the Conservatives today. The Tory leader Michael Howard will outline his party's plans in a speech thi  More...
11 November 2004 10:36

The Government is looking to extend paid maternity leave to a year as a part of its election manifesto, according to trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt.  Talking to the Independent, Hewitt said: “We are looking at extending maternity p  More...
27 October 2004 15:27

Is she or isn't she? Following her dismissal on the grounds of performance, Mrs Ramdoolar claimed the company's reasons were in reality connected to her pregnancy and her dismissal was, therefore, automatically unfair. The company denied any knowledge   More...
12 October 2004 00:00

A survey of HR across Europe reveals that most countries are struggling to come to terms with the European legislation mountain. Surprisingly, reports Michael Millar the UK is ahead of the pack in adapting to change  More...
16 March 2004 17:27