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Original poster

Plans to allow small firms to negotiate parental (maternity) leave

82 replies

flyingcloud · 14/03/2011 10:23

Has this been done?

It just makes me so :(

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Original poster
flyingcloud · 15/03/2011 10:10

Oh that's interesting Bonsoir, I hadn't thought about it like that.

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Bonsoir · 15/03/2011 09:57

flyingcloud - my DP, who runs a business in France employing hundreds of women of childbearing age and for whom factoring in maternity leave is a routine part of working life, would prefer maternity leave to be longer along the UK model. He says that it is very difficult - impossible, even - to replace people for four months and that it would be much easier to replace them for a whole year (which, incidentally, is an excellent recruiting mechanism - one year maternity cover on a CDD allows the company to fully appraise an employee before offering them a CDI).

Bonsoir · 15/03/2011 09:54

swallowedAFly - it does not make good economic sense for women to stay at home providing free domestic services all their lives.

That is an entirely separate discussion to the one on encouraging parents to stay together to bring up their children.

The time has not passed when financial considerations must be made when deciding economic policy.

Original poster
flyingcloud · 15/03/2011 09:39

Ah, some responses! Good!

I should have warned DONT READ THE COMMENTS!

Firstly Portofino is right - ML in the UK is exceptionally generous compared to France and Belgium, other countries in Europe I don't know. Childcare is cheap though, and as Bonsoir points out, there is often no financial reason to stay at home here (am in France).

I do think that long maternity leave can be very detrimental to business(but equally the needs of society, and raising the next generation are very, very important). Who has it right?

I am just deeply troubled by this proposed measure on an idealogical basis.

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wubblybubbly · 15/03/2011 09:39

It all fits in quite nicely with the Big Society.

wubblybubbly · 15/03/2011 09:37

Exactly.

swallowedAfly · 15/03/2011 09:33

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wubblybubbly · 15/03/2011 09:26

It's also, no doubt, much cheaper to have women stay at home and look after their children, than to ask the state to pick up the tab. Is that the idea?

swallowedAfly · 15/03/2011 09:24

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Bonsoir · 15/03/2011 09:06

It's fairly basic economics to work out that it is going to be cheaper to have children living with both their biological parents than not.

I live in a blended family and I know the costs (to us, not the state, but still...).

swallowedAfly · 15/03/2011 09:03

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Bonsoir · 15/03/2011 08:54

You also need to bear in mind that the fact of paying tax does not make you a net contributor to society. In the UK, only 25% of the adult population are net contributors - 75% are net beneficiaries (though most of these do pay tax).

Bonsoir · 15/03/2011 08:52

Because it is much cheaper for parents to live together than separately. Divorce/separation/single parent families are massive financial burden on all Western economies.

ajandjjmum · 15/03/2011 08:52

As a tiny company, we have had someone on maternity leave - she decided after 12 months not to come back. During that time she had use of a fully expensed company car (except fuel), and we also had to pay her holiday pay.

This is in a recession when times are very hard for us as a business. We cannot afford to replace my company car, so I am car-less, mega reduced salary and holiday - what holiday?!!

These things are never clear cut.

I like her and valued her input, so we supported her as much as we could, despite the personal sacrifices that we had to make.

swallowedAfly · 15/03/2011 08:52

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swallowedAfly · 15/03/2011 08:49

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swallowedAfly · 15/03/2011 08:48

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Bonsoir · 15/03/2011 08:47

swallowedAfly - I don't think there are any easy answers at all, and one of the issues that is most complex is marriage and how you get couples to live harmoniously together for at least as long as their children are growing up, if for no other reason than for the financial one.

Divorce/separation are financial luxuries, just as being a SAHM is.

swallowedAfly · 15/03/2011 08:45

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swallowedAfly · 15/03/2011 08:43

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Bonsoir · 15/03/2011 08:21

"But child care provision is better, well to be more accurate, cheaper, here."

The French/Belgian model of cheap crèches certainly makes the financial aspect of the decision of whether to continue to work or not easier on parents.

Bonsoir · 15/03/2011 08:15

swallowedAFly - the current government wants to change the reality you describe by encouraging two parent families and reducing people's entitlement to state support.

swallowedAfly · 15/03/2011 08:00

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Portofino · 14/03/2011 22:33

Oh and the parental leave is pretty much unpaid.

Portofino · 14/03/2011 22:31

mercibucket - I live in Brussels. You get 3 months ML here. Plus 3 months parental leave (for each parent) to be used before the child is 12. The UK provision is MUCH better! But child care provision is better, well to be more accurate, cheaper, here.