Should all women receive maternity leave even if they don't have children?
A UK think tank has today caused significant ripples in the UK employment market with the idea that all women should be offered "maternity leave" even if they do not have children. In a situation which is starting to get out of control, the UK equality movement is now calling for ladies in the workplace to be offered paid or unpaid leave from work which would effectively be their "maternity leave" whether they have children or not.
As you would expect, this announcement has caught many business leaders and business owners offguard as nobody saw this particular recommendation coming. The MP Harriet Harman has been one of the main supporters of equality movement in the UK, a useful and very much-needed campaign, but unfortunately it is now beginning to get out of control and touching areas of business which many believe do not need change.
Can you imagine a situation if you were a small business and one of your work-force was given maternity leave, leaving you short of staff at the cutting edge?
Many small businesses are suffering at the moment and this, if it were to become law, would pile yet more pressure on struggling operations in the UK.
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