Paternity leave proposals could worry small employers

The FSB has warned the government that the changes announced in the Work and Families Bill will pose particular problems for the UK’s smaller employers.

The proposal to transfer an element of maternity leave from the mother to the father will now mean that two employers will have to make arrangements to cover for temporary leave, although the FSB acknowledges that the father will only be eligible for the leave when the mother returns to work.

The FSB says it welcomes the proposals for so-called keep-in-touch days and giving the employer two months notice before returning to work, rather than the current 28 days notice.

Alan Tyrrell from the FSB also said:

“It is a fact that 97% of businesses in the UK employ less than 20 people. Such employers will find it very difficult to put in place arrangements to hire suitably trained staff to take the place of employees who have children.

“We appreciate these measures are family-friendly, but they are not business friendly, partly because they are being introduced at some speed, leaving small employers with little time to cope with the changes.”