Latest from our Legal Eagle for HR Professionals...

Wednesday November 26 2008

Our very own legal eagle, Anna Denton from Morgan Denton Jones, has been kind enough to share her up-to-the-minute legal knowledge with us...and you!

 

Keep checking the scrapblog every week for the latest legal news, hints, tips and facts. 

 

This week's legal latest...

 

Maternity law changes –

 

a) as from 5th October 2008 (following introduction of two sets of new regulations - the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (Amendment) Regulations 2008 and the Maternity and Parental Leave etc. and the Paternity and Adoption Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2008)  almost all differences between ordinary maternity leave (the first 26 weeks of leave) and additional maternity leave (the next 26 weeks) have been removed.  The only difference of general practical significance now left is that the right to return after ordinary maternity leave is a right for a mother to return "to the job in which she was employed before her absence" whereas after additional maternity leave it is still a right to return either to that job "or, if it is not reasonably practicable for the employer to permit her to return to that job, to another job which is both suitable for her and appropriate for her to do in the circumstances".  Abolition of even this difference is under consideration - it was on the agenda at the Labour Party National Policy Forum in July 2008.

 

b) At European level it is proposed that compulsory maternity leave should be increased to 18 weeks, six of which will have to be after the birth (at present in the UK this is just two weeks).  The other 12 weeks will be available either before or after the birth. 

 

If you would like to receive information on the HR related seminars that Anna presents for Marble Recruitment, please email nicola@marblerecruitment.co.uk

 

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