“They are aimed at modernising the current law on maternity leave by replacing the existing “Edwardian” style laws with a more accurate reflection of modern society, namely that both parents can and should have an equal opportunity to play a central role in the upbringing of their children.
“Implementation of the proposals will be highly advantageous from an employee’s perspective. Female employees who have been consistently concerned with the thought of a potential halt in career progression or discrimination due to pregnancy would be able to share the burden of maternity leave with their spouse or partner.
“However, it is likely to have a significant affect on employers, especially small businesses which are suffering in already difficult times. It is also appears that it will be difficult to administer and ‘police’ the scheme. This being said it is likely that the law will continue to evolve to incorporate ‘21st century society’.”