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Progress on Shared Parental Leave reforms?

Posted by Valuing-Maternity on May 2, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

The Children and Families Bill, which contains the Shared Parental Leave reforms, passed last week from the House of Commons to the House of Lords. As a result of our campaigning, the Minister for Employment, Jo Swinson, gave a commitment to develop ACAS guidance on breastfeeding on return to work.  This is of particular importance […]

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1 in 7 women on maternity leave lose their job

Posted by Valuing-Maternity on March 21, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

A survey showing that one in seven mothers lost their jobs during maternity leave was no surprise to any of us at the Valuing Maternity campaign.  If anything, we were surprised that the figure wasn’t higher. In the last few years, Maternity Action and other advice agencies have seen ever increasing numbers of pregnant women and […]

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Breastfeeding rights – it’s not too late to send Jo Swinson a Mother’s Day card!

Posted by Valuing-Maternity on March 7, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

If you haven’t sent Jo Swinson a Mothers’ Day card asking her to support breastfeeding mothers, it’s not too late! The new Shared Parental Leave reforms allow mothers to share maternity leave with dads and partners from two weeks after the birth. But they don’t give women the right to breastfeed on return to work. […]

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Support rights for breastfeeding mums: Send Minister Jo Swinson a Mothers’ Day card

Posted by Valuing-Maternity on March 1, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

The new Shared Parental Leave reforms allow mothers to share maternity leave with dads and partners from two weeks after the birth. But they don’t give women the right to breastfeed on return to work. This needs to change. 92 countries give women a legal right to breastfeeding breaks on return to work – but […]

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What’s missing from Shared Parental Leave? Action on pregnancy discrimination

Posted by Valuing-Maternity on February 28, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

The Shared Parental Leave reforms are bringing in new rights for parents. But without action on pregnancy discrimination, many parents won’t be able to exercise their rights. The laws against pregnancy discrimination are very clear, but widely flouted. The 2005 Equal Opportunities Commission investigation into pregnancy discrimination at work found that 30 000 women each […]

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What is missing from Shared Parental Leave? The right to return

Posted by Valuing-Maternity on February 20, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

As an advice worker on the Maternity Action Advice Line, I know that women face as many problems returning to work as they do whilst they are pregnant at work. Many of these problems stem from the two different versions of a woman’s right to return to work; specifically, from the weaker rights given to […]

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What is missing from the Shared Parental Leave reforms?

Posted by Valuing-Maternity on February 6, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

Emma Pickett, Lactation Consultant and Co-Chair of Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, writes I was talking to a mother about the new proposals for shared parental leave the other day. As usual I was talking about breastfeeding – and the mother replied, “But anyone going back to work at two months doesn’t care about breastfeeding anyway? […]

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Not enough money, not enough midwives

Posted by Valuing-Maternity on January 24, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

This week, the Royal College of Midwives launched their State of Maternity Services report for 2012, documenting the pressure on care for pregnant women. The baby boom has dramatically increased demand on services. In the past decade, births in England increased by 22%, by 12% in Scotland, by 16% in Wales and by 15% in […]

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Breasts at work

Posted by Valuing-Maternity on January 17, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

The UK Government is about to legislate for changes to maternity and parental leave, but has no plans to provide protection for breastfeeding on return to work. It is up to women to decide whether or not to breastfeed and for how long. What we don’t want is for women to stop breastfeeding before they […]

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Strivers, skivers and stay at home mums

Posted by Valuing-Maternity on January 10, 2013 · Leave a Comment 

This week Parliament has voted for three years of further cuts to benefits, including maternity and paternity pay.  At the same time, cuts to Child Benefit are being implemented. The Government claims that it has public support for the cuts to benefits.  Research by the TUC shows that those who support the cuts are more […]

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