Supporting businesses 5 5.1 This chapter looks at the problems faced by business when a woman goes on maternity leave and the options on how they might be eased. 5.2 Employers' priority is to keep their businesses profitable and competitive. 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.