3rd April

Changes to Maternity and Paternity Rights
The following changes to the Work and Families Act came into force from 1st April.

The total period of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is extended from 26 weeks to 39 weeks. So anyone whose child is due after that date, regardless of when the baby actually arrives, will get 90% of salary for six weeks, and then a maximum of £112.75 a week for another 33 weeks. The period of notice for returning to work from maternity leave is extended from 28 days to 2 months to make it easier for businesses to plan their staffing needs.

From 6th April the Act will extend the right to request flexible working (currently limited to parents of young children) to include carers of sick or disabled people.  Other changes include the calculation of SMP on a daily rather than weekly basis, to allow mothers to work a few days while on maternity leave without losing a whole week's money.

The government aims to increase paid maternity leave again to one year by the end of the current parliament.  The Act also allows the government to introduce a right for fathers to request up to 26 weeks unpaid paternity leave.

source: BBC News