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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 :(

OP posts:
ForkfulOfTabouleh · 14/03/2011 15:23

What the hell?!?! Shock

I have recently realised that most people don't realise that small companies RECLAIM from the Government (HMRC) any statutory maternity payments which they make.

So the 90% of salary for 6 weeks and the ~£123/week for the remaining 33 weeks.

In fact they reclaim 104.5% of it. This covers any employer's national insurance payments so they have NO £ going out on SMP.

(Larger companies claim back 92%),

See here.

They have to pay to recruit a new employee - which they would have to do if the pregnant employee was sacked/left.

They have to train the new employee - again which they would have to do if the pregnant employee was sacked/left.

They put the replacement employee on a temp contract so no liability incurred in terminating them when the woman returns from maternity leave.

If flexible working does not suit their business and they can prove this then they don't have to offer it.

If small companies weren't giving SMP then would maternity allowance be qualified for?

What will stop companies artificially organising to have subsidiaries of less than 10 people to get round the legislation?

aliceliddell · 14/03/2011 15:10

The comments on the end of that link are hysterical! Women! Know your place! It would be funny except these Eton tossers are running the country. Tell you what? Lets phone Nick Clegg, the moral conscience of the outfit. A principled man...

swallowedAfly · 14/03/2011 14:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

AliceWorld · 14/03/2011 13:30

In theory, more employable as the small businesses don't have to pay maternity pay so they won't need to discriminate on that basis. But women effectively become temporary workers, as if they dare to bring new human lives into the world, then they can just be disposed with. And of course yes an utterly out of balance 'negotiation' where the employer can just sack the woman for being pregnant. So you're more employable because you're more disposable. Women can just be the temps for now.

Is there anyone left who doesn't think the Tories' cuts are ideological? I don't know how clearer they can get.

It's not happened, yet. Wonder if the Lib Dems will remember any principles they claimed once to have had? Hmm

Original poster
flyingcloud · 14/03/2011 13:12

It will be so hard for women to 'negotiate', especially in the current economic climate. The govt should be doing their utmost to protect the hard-fought rights of women, rather than legislating their rights away.

OP posts:
CaptainNancy · 14/03/2011 11:29

I saw KateMumsnet tweet it yesterday, but did not have time to get my head round it.

Effectively mean women are unemployable, no?

David51 · 14/03/2011 11:27

If it happens it will be announced in the budget on 23 March