The majority of businesses oppose government plans to extend maternity leave, new research suggests.
Research, conducted by law firm Browne Jacobson, reveals that 82% of company directors oppose the proposed extension of paid maternity leave.
Furthermore, three quarters of company directors believe the proposed extension will discourage employers from hiring women, researchers found.
There are currently 10m women ‘of childbearing age’, accounting for around one third of the UK's workforce.
The survey, based on interviews with 220 company directors, found that 41% believe UK businesses can ill afford any extension to paid leave.
However, 34% said they would support the measure if the government paid for the additional costs.
Peter Jones, employment partner at Browne Jacobson, said: “The clear message from our research is that company directors do not support an extension of paid maternity leave.
“However, employers risk breaching not only sex discrimination law, but also forthcoming age discrimination legislation, if they seek to exclude potential mothers from the workforce.
“Employers must have in place clear procedures to ensure that recruitment choices are appropriate, fair and legally sound. Discriminatory employment decisions run the risk of potentially costly employment tribunals and compensation awards.”
© Crimson Business Ltd 2006
