MSE News: Parents can share maternity leave from 2015

ViolaLass

Percy1983 wrote: »

This does sound great, I do wonder how much notice a man would have to give as I could quite easily hide a pregnancy from them.

I do wonder how much stigma there will be around it, I am not sure I would feel comfortable telling my employer I was having a year off as my wife is pregnant, it could cause me career problems.

I am not saying this isn't already the case with many women, but if could be "its the womens job, yet this slacker is taking the time" which could be viewed as even more negative than a women taking the time.

Then you can take pride in being one of the many standing up to such old-fashioned views.

By the way, women have to give a certain number of weeks notice of a pregnancy. It would be easy to say that the man has to give the same.

LannieDuck

Percy1983 wrote: »

This does sound great, I do wonder how much notice a man would have to give as I could quite easily hide a pregnancy from them.

lol :rotfl:

Percy1983 wrote: »

I do wonder how much stigma there will be around it, I am not sure I would feel comfortable telling my employer I was having a year off as my wife is pregnant, it could cause me career problems.

Yep, all that has been the case for women for decades.

Percy1983 wrote: »

I am not saying this isn't already the case with many women, but if could be "its the womens job, yet this slacker is taking the time" which could be viewed as even more negative than a women taking the time.

Hopefully it'll become seen less as 'the womens job'. It won't be a quick change, but it's already changing a bit and these reforms should help a lot... assuming they go through.

hawk30

LannieDuck wrote: »

Hopefully it'll become seen less as 'the womens job'. It won't be a quick change, but it's already changing a bit and these reforms should help a lot... assuming they go through.

I hope so. I hate feeling I have to justify why he will be a SAHD. The truth is, while there are a lot of valid reasons why it makes more sense for him to be the one to stay at home, the main reason is that I don't want to be a SAHM. I usually tack that reason onto the end, when I should really have the courage to lead with it.

Percy1983

ViolaLass wrote: »

Then you can take pride in being one of the many standing up to such old-fashioned views.

By the way, women have to give a certain number of weeks notice of a pregnancy. It would be easy to say that the man has to give the same.

Well in my case I don't think it would cause a big problem, with that it would probably work out best for us if my wife stayed home, as it is we don't have anything on the way just yet so we would make the judgement of what is best when/if it happens.

Overall its great news, as said it may take a while for it to become the new 'norm' as such, but the sooner the better.

GwylimT

As someone who has an adopted child and two biological children I find it odd that adoptive mum or dad can take adoption leave, but if the child biologically belongs to you, only mum can really take time off.

If a man is worried that his employer might think about someone who actually wants to raise their child/ren, then they need to get a grip.

smartcat04

Myself and my husband are already splitting our leave when our baby arrives in Feb under the laws that came in this year- it was actually his HR dept that made us aware of this.
I earn double what my husband does and work for the NHS so have a decent maternity leave package. Ill go back to work after 6 months while my husband takes the next 3 months off with her.
He'l be paid the same as statutary mat pay which is about £135 a week (its that or 90% of wage whichever is the lowest amount).

My husband is really keen to do this, hes looking forward to spending more time with our daughter. She's being looked after by a familiar face. The drop in our household income would be less than me staying off for another 3 months.
The way they verify it is by sending in her birth certificate and his company contacting my HR to confirm my mat leave dates so no chance of fiddling things.
His HR dept have said he'l be the 1st person in their company to do this- but I agree with what another poster said in that it isnt well publiscised at all.

hawk30

Actually smart kat, the right to additional paternity leave came in in 2011, but as you say has not been well publicised. My DH is also really keen to start his 'daddy time' next year.

ViolaLass

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/nov/29/how-will-parental-leave-work-q-a-mothers-fathers Explains some points.