Some employers "childbirth unfriendly"

An officer and midwife with the Royal College of Midwives has asserted that some employers fail to accommodate members of staff who have recently become parents.

New or prospective fathers and mothers in sales jobs may be interested to learn of Mervi Jokinen's comments, which come after the commission for equality and human rights warned of discrimination against women of childbearing age.

Ms Jokinen said that while some organisations implement effective human resources arrangements in order to accommodate new parents, "some employers are really not very childbirth friendly".

"So I think having the legislation has helped in terms of new mothers not being penalised," she said.

The law states that women can take up to 52 weeks of statutory maternity leave, with statutory maternity pay for up to 39 weeks.

Meanwhile, fathers are permitted one or two weeks of paternity leave, receiving £117.18 per week or 90 per cent of their average earnings if this is lower.

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Filed: 28-07-2008