Mums BANNED from worked 6 weeks after birth

[Tortington]

was in the MNet news section ( link of home page.)

BANNED! i think this is outragous - what say you

?

awful, what a thing to do to someone with a child to support

ok please pretend I'm thick and provide a link as I've gone to home page and can't see what you are talking about.

i think the plans are EU plans and the plan is i think to give adequat maternity leave - i think - i assume

anyone kow any more?

here

it says:
Work ban for new mums: Mothers will be banned from working within six weeks of giving birth, under new EU plans that aim to improve maternity leave and make it uniform across Europe. Business leaders have criticised the plans, saying they believe employers will stop giving jobs to women if the cost of maternity leave rises ? and the Tories warn the six-week rule could damage the careers of businesswomen who want to return to work as soon as possible after a birth (Daily Telegraph 20.11.08).

In Germany you are banned for 6 weeks before the due date and 8 weeks afterwards, but it is maternity leave with full pay.

Although, saying that most women stay off work for longer than the 8 weeks in Germany.

It is a bit strange, bringing UK in line with Europe, there are such huge cultural differences with regard to childcare/SAHM/WOHMs between Germany and UK. You are not going to reconcile that with legistlation.

Hmm, it's 2 weeks at the moment isn't it. Tbh, I always wonder how enforceable this sort of thing is.

Not quite sure about the arguments from business leaders about it making maternity leave and recruiting women more expensive though - surely there are very, very few women who are back at work in the first 6 weeks?

In some ways I guess this is good in that if you are eligible for maternity pay, this is the 6 weeks @ 90% period, and the idea of anyone being asked to work in the first six weeks is slightly scary. But then of course banning those who need to work from doing so is not very helpful.

Dunno what I think really - waiting for someone to come along with a more thought-through opinion

Well I believe you are currently 'banned' for the first two weeks, so it is a change in duration rather than principle.

are you really currentyl banned! like - you off to jail banned?

I can't believe that any woman would want to go back to work within 6 weeks of giving birth, or that any employer would be so inhumane as to expect it.

If I were a woman I'd be holding out for 52 weeks at least

I actually think we make too many laws about things that should be a matter of choice, but be a bit grateful since it is intended to make things better for you.

but you should have the option to if you want to right?

I think you are already banned from returning to work within 6 weeks if you work in a factory. Although my mind might be playing tricks on me.

TBH how many women will this affect? Not many, surely?

I think all mums should be banned from going back to work before their child is 6 months but paid a decent allowance.

My friend lives in France and gets money to stay at home until her child is 2.

don't know anyone who has gone back to work earlier than 6 weeks anyway

It is illegal to work in the first 2 weeks after childbirth.

You need to physcially recover.

I think it should be a right, and even an expected norm - but certainly a woman who wants to work sooner shouldn't be banned.

Does Germany really ban before the due date? That's ridiculous - ok, so if you're doing various physical jobs it would be good for women to have the option, but for lots of us theres no problem working till much closer - much better have the leave after.

TBH I think it is good thing. It is illegal for women to return to work until 2wks after giving birth but that didn't stop my boss emailing me with questions about stats etc 10 days after I had dd2. It would affect only a few people, surely, and for some it would remove the pressure to go back so soon. I know my old CM went back to work two weeks after having her ds due to pressure from the mums of the children she looked after. This would offer abit more protection from that, perhaps?

I know someone (self employed barrister) who was back at work 3 days after ...

I don't agree with banning anything (murder and other stuff aside)

Iirc it's currently 2 weeks or 4 weeks if you work in a factory.

Makes sense to me tbh.

I think this is a good thing. It doesn't affect many women but it does protect them.

welll, i cant imagine wanting to go anywhere near work so soon after birth, but the idea of it being banned and compulsory smacks to me of women being excluded from church or banned from the village etc until lying in period over and is a bit dark agesy

see, I really don't see it as an exclusion, rather more as a protection, as others have said. But i do agree that it needs to come with a decent allowance.

imo 'not obligated to return' (for much longer than 6 weeks) is sufficient protection - or at least it should be. What about a woman that owns her own business and wants to nip in for a couple of hoursleaving lo with dh? or similar non controversial situation. see your point though.

yeah, and i do see yours too, moopy. I guess my latest experience - where my pregnancy was not welcomed at all by my boss and I was made to feel i had let them down to the extent I felt compelled to work up until my due date (went into labour 4hrs after leaving work) and where I was then pressured into doing work for them whilst still on mat leave makes me realise that such protections are useful for some women. i can see that some would see it as an infringement of their right to choose, though.