Rejected petition A fairer way to fund parental/maternity/paternity leave

Parental leave is in our nation’s interest. Employees should not have to choose between their career and having a family. Parental leave means more children are born into families where having a job is the norm, plus parents can continue to contribute to our economy through income tax upon returning to work. This is to the benefit of society as a whole, but is currently shouldered disproportionately.

The proposal is that all employers pay into a central pot (an amount per employee) so that the burden of parental leave is shared by all employers.

This would help prevent prejudice against recruiting women of child bearing age, who despite legislation, are still less likely to be employed for fear of maternity leave costs. It would also protect small businesses, for which a number of months of paying a salary for an absent employee can cause significant financial hardship or even collapse. Removing barriers to small businesses can only help the economic recovery.