They need to know what the law requires and so do pregnant women. It should be possible to find solutions to help both. Maternity leave can be a problem for businesses, especially smaller ones. However, for many of them this is a relatively infrequent event. Government needs to take care that legislation to establish minimum standards does not discourage the voluntary adoption of higher standards.
Many businesses think that the balance of rights and responsibilities has been lost.
This review provides an opportunity to consider the current legislation to see how it can be improved. Employees are equally confused. Complexity is particularly a problem for small businesses that rarely have to encounter the world of maternity legislation. All the dates make it difficult to get it right. Less complex procedures could be introduced.