IDS HR Study 851, August 2007

Maternity and parental leave

• Reviews the new statutory framework set out by the Work and Families Act 2006

• Focuses on ways in which employers offer better-than-statutory maternity rights

• Looks at how employers enhance other family-friendly provisions, including paternity, adoption and parental leave, and considers their approaches to flexible working

• Provides full details of the policies in 26 organisations across a broad range of sectors

The Work and Families Act 2006, which came into force on 1 April 2007, increases the rights of working mothers and seeks to improve communication between employer and employee during maternity leave. It also contains powers to enable parents to share additional leave. Many organisations have long recognised the business benefits of offering flexibility, choice and support to their workforce through better-than-statutory arrangements.

This HR Study reviews the new statutory framework and summarises the revised regulations covering statutory maternity leave and pay, flexible working and the proposed introduction of additional paternity leave. It also recaps the existing paternity, adoption and parental leave provisions.

The Study looks at the different ways in which 26 employers in a range of sectors have gone beyond the statutory obligations to enhance maternity leave and pay. Many have done so in the context of a broader suite of 'family-friendly' policies. The Study also considers how employers approach the right to request flexible working, including eligibility rules, the variety of working patterns offered and the procedure from initial request to the appeals process.