Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Site stuff

Join our Innovation Panel to try new features early and help make Mumsnet better.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Policywonk, in Hobbs and em and ess, LIVE FROM THE G20

476 replies

policywonk · 02/04/2009 08:18

YOWZA

OP posts:
MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 02/04/2009 14:42

Will do. Good luck!

Original poster
policywonk · 02/04/2009 14:44

All sexual activity on the other thread please, people!

OP posts:
MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 02/04/2009 14:46

PW do you have a mobile number and is your phone on? (if so can you mail it to us?)
ta

Original poster
policywonk · 02/04/2009 14:46

Nick Robinson is behind me - shall I ask him if he knows Maxine?

OP posts:
Original poster
policywonk · 02/04/2009 14:48

have done, Justine

OP posts:
Original poster
policywonk · 02/04/2009 14:49

Was joking about sexual activity, feel free to frot etc

OP posts:
Original poster
policywonk · 02/04/2009 14:55

Nick Robinson is talking about SDRs. The bugger got there before me.

MNHQ - any chance of an 'SDR' topic?

OP posts:
Original poster
policywonk · 02/04/2009 14:57

Mandy's back on, apparently. Flexible working?

OP posts:
Original poster
policywonk · 02/04/2009 14:58

Or shall I go for Georgi's? Just how much brass neck do I have?

OP posts:
grumblinalong · 02/04/2009 14:59

I'd go with flexible working and it's effect on staff retention rates.

EssieW · 02/04/2009 15:02

fleixble working good (I'm still here...pretending to work hard) or could throw in curved ball one about maternity leave debates (if not included in flexible working)

georgimama · 02/04/2009 15:03

Ask him what really happened on that yacht with George Osborne and the scary Russians.

Go on, dare you.

Original poster
policywonk · 02/04/2009 15:04

Sorry grumbling, yours was the brass neck question

What about staff retention rates? What Justine said, or something else?

I've not been properly BRIEFED.

Nick Robinson is now ARGUING with his producer (she's never heard of Maxine, apparently) about SDRs

OP posts:
georgimama · 02/04/2009 15:05

No, sorry, ask him about flexible working.

Original poster
policywonk · 02/04/2009 15:06

OOh yes, I like the maternity leave one, I've got an opinion on that. Was is the Equality and Human Rights commission? Proposing... 6 mos for women then 6mos for men? Anyone remember?

OP posts:
grumblinalong · 02/04/2009 15:08

Erm...along the lines of

Do you think staff retention rates would increase if flexible working was taken seriously by employers? Also could this also have a knock on effect of closing the gender gap too as many women require flexible working to create a work/life balance but feel undersupported and undervalued especially when returning from maternity leave?

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 02/04/2009 15:09

Basically Mandy is thought to be anti- flexi-working legislation because he feels it's anti-business (he's voiced scepticism about extending right to request flexi-working let alone changing it to right to demand) vs Harriet H/gender equality people on the other side. Point is he/business shouldn't view flexi/ innovative/ modern ways of working as anti-business but potentially as a way of making people more productive and keeping women (especially) in the workplace after children, which is good for economy as a whole and for women's chances of climbing the greasy pole/ bridging the pay gap.

EssieW · 02/04/2009 15:10

from the equality and human rights commission
(just taught myself that I should look at the reports not just the news headlines).
At your service....

For fathers:

  • the first two weeks? paternity leave at the birth of their child would be retained, but at 90 per cent pay
  • four months of dedicated 'parental leave' which can be taken after the mother's six months of maternity leave comes to an end. This right would be available until their child's fifth birthday
  • at least eight weeks of that leave should be supported at 90 per cent of pay.

For mothers:

  • The first 26 weeks would remain dedicated maternity leave for mothers. The number of weeks paid at 90 per cent pay would be increased from six to 26 weeks
  • After six months, mothers would get the same 'parental leave' arrangements as fathers.

For both:

  • Four months of parental leave that either parent can take, at least eight weeks at 90 percent of pay.
grumblinalong · 02/04/2009 15:10

Proposal was (I think) that parents would have the option of splitting 12 months maternity leave between them, in any form e.g 4 months men, 6 months women.

Original poster
policywonk · 02/04/2009 15:18

Mandy's OFF again

Up and down like a thingy's wotsit

Shall I go see Gordy's press conference or begin applying make-up for my 9pm appearance on BBC News 24?

OP posts:
grumblinalong · 02/04/2009 15:19

If he comes out with the anti-business spiel bring up the cost involved in recruiting, training, and in employment on costs (SSP, pensions etc) for NEW staff. How can he say it's anti-business to provide flexible working but not anti-business to keep bleeding staff and replacing them with costly inexperienced new staff.

The man gets my goat, he really does.

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 02/04/2009 15:19

But you should also ask him Georgimamma's second chance one, for sure!

Bramshott · 02/04/2009 15:20

You could go to the press conference and offer Gordy some under-eye concealer . He is bound to be jet-lagged, knackered and stressed by now, and that won't be making his usual panda-bag-eyes effect any better!

Original poster
policywonk · 02/04/2009 15:22

Right then, off I go. This could take some time...

OP posts:
georgimama · 02/04/2009 15:22

What I really want to know, and I don't particularly expect Lord Mandelson to answer this or anyone else (even though he is the Business Minister) is this - what about the self employed? DH doesn't take a salary from his business, in common with many small proprietors - he takes drawings and settles up the accounts at year end.

We're missing out on all the existing legislation for fathers - paternity leave, salary sacrifice for childcare vouchers etc - because there is no mechanism for him to claim them. Apportioning maternity leave between parents to get fathers more involved is all very well, but we'd just be worse off.

We can't be the only ones - there are millions of SMEs out there, some of their proprietors must have young children. Some of their proprietors must even be women!