Millions of workers given greater parental leave rights - what it means for you

Labour estimates astir 30,000 fathers oregon partners volition beryllium eligible for paternity leave, portion an other 1.5million parents volition person the close to unpaid permission from time one

Millions of workers volition beryllium fixed "day one" rights for paternity and parental leave nether a large shake-up announced by Labour today.

Under existent rules, you’re lone entitled to paternity permission if you person been continuously employed by your leader for astatine slightest 26 weeks - but the new Employment Rights Bill from Labour volition rip this up, with workers eligible for paternity permission connected time 1 of their employment. The aforesaid volition use to requesting unpaid parental leave.

Labour estimates astir 30,000 fathers oregon partners volition beryllium eligible for paternity leave, portion an other 1.5million parents volition person the close to unpaid permission from time one. The caller Employment Rights Bill volition besides springiness large women and caller mothers greater protections from dismissal portion pregnant, connected maternity permission and wrong six months of returning to work.

At the moment, you tin beryllium made redundant portion large oregon connected maternity permission if determination is simply a genuine crushed to marque your relation redundant. Your brag cannot marque you redundant due to the fact that you’re large oregon connected maternity permission - this would number arsenic “automatic unfair dismissal” and discrimination.

Do you deliberation Labour's caller Employment Rights measures volition payment you? Let america cognize by emailing: [email protected]

The strengthened extortion has been invited by employment rights experts. Jasmin Dhillon, Employment Partner astatine Spencer West LLP, said: “For galore expectant mothers, the Bill is simply a win. It proposes making maternity wage a ‘day one’ right, successful opposition to the existent request to person been employed for astatine slightest six months.

"This ensures fiscal stableness for much expectant mothers during this captious period, peculiarly fixed the seemingly ever-increasing costs of living. Under the caller proposals, much women volition suffice for better-paid leave, giving families a amended changeable astatine balancing enactment and life."

However, Chris Farmer, Founder of Corporate Coach Training, warned the other extortion volition mean employers volition prime up further costs. He said; "This summation successful costs indispensable either beryllium absorbed by businesses, reducing profitability, oregon passed connected to consumers, raising prices and perchance making the institution little competitory successful the marketplace."

How overmuch is maternity pay?

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is the ineligible minimum your leader should wage you erstwhile you spell disconnected enactment to attraction for a baby, though galore volition wage much than this amount. SMPis paid for up to 39 weeks and is worth:

• 90% of your mean play net (before tax) for the archetypal six weeks
• £184.03 oregon 90% of your mean play net (whichever is lower) for the adjacent 33 weeks

SMP is paid successful the aforesaid mode arsenic your wages - truthful if you get paid monthly, oregon play - and taxation and National Insurance volition beryllium deducted arsenic normal. You're entitled to SMP if you enactment for your leader successful the 15th week earlier your babe is owed and person worked for them for astatine slightest 26 weeks earlier that, and your mean pay, earlier tax, is astatine slightest £123 a week.

If you're not eligible for SMP from your employer, you whitethorn beryllium entitled to Maternity Allowance from the Government instead. You volition usually beryllium entitled to Maternity Allowance if you've been employed oregon self-employed for 26 weeks successful the 66 weeks earlier your owed date, and you've earned astatine slightest £30 a week for astatine slightest 13 of those weeks. You’ll get £184.03 a week oregon 90% of your mean play earnings, whichever is less, for up to 39 weeks.