WORK-LIFE BALANCE
CIPD's response to the pre-Budget report on maternity plans
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has offered a cautious welcome to the government's proposal to extend paid maternity leave from six to nine months by 2007.
Mike Emmott, CIPD employee relations adviser, said:
"Research suggests that giving employees more choice about their working patterns pays off in terms of commitment and performance. Increasing the length of time that mothers can spend at home before returning to work makes sense as part of a wider strategy to improve childcare. However, it is sensible for the government not to move too fast, but to evaluate what impact the change has on women's careers and job commitments before considering going further in this direction. It may provide mothers with the opportunity to spend more time with their children early on but it could also cause them to drift away from the labour market."
Reservations about plans to make maternity leave transferable to fathers
But the CIPD has reservations about the proposal to consider extending paid maternity leave so it could be shared between mother and father. The CIPD reckons that this could be confusing and the implications would need detailed working through to ensure that unnecessary extra work on employers is minimised. It is also unclear how many mothers will wish to surrender maternity leave to fathers, who can also claim two weeks' paid paternity leave.
Extension of flexible working rights
New government proposals include plans to extend the right to ask for flexible working to benefit parents with older children. Mike Emmott said:
"This is a step in the right direction. Nevertheless it is a missed opportunity. The government needs to look at the bigger picture and ensure there is help in place for other groups such as those responsible for elder care. We continue to urge the government to extend the right to all employees, which most employers already do in practice on a voluntary basis. In practice there is a lot of give and take in the employment relationship, it is a mutual relationship between employers and employees and there will be circumstances where an organisation cannot meet an individual's specific request for flexible working."
Want to know more?
The government's 2004 pre-Budget report, Opportunity for all: The strength to take the long-term decisions for Britain, was published 2 December 2004. You can download all the documents from the HM Treasury site at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pre_budget_report/prebud_pbr04/prebud_pbr04_index.cfm
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has over 120,000 members and is the "leading professional institute for those involved in the management and development of people". To find out more visit www.cipd.co.uk
Posted 20 December 2004