It was recently suggested by a government advisor, that government should consider the scrapping of maternity leave rights. This has caused a very strong reaction not only from working women but also from many HR professionals. The UK has more than adequate maternity leave provisions, but not as generous as many of our European neighbours, particularly the Scandinavians. Having raised the issue, we should reflect on why we provide this benefit in the first place.
Firstly, because to deny maternity leave would obviously seriously disadvantage women in their careers, given that they are the child-bearers. The counter argument might be that you could protect women’s jobs, but not provide the paid cover — as they do in many US firms. This would of course put massive financial burdens on many working women, and might encourage them to go back to work earlier than would be good for them, their family or the workplace itself. A certain amount of bonding is fundamental for new families, to lay the foundations for effective parenting later in life. Indeed, this is the argument used in countries that have introduced and promoted parental leave arrangements to encourage fathers to take up paternity leave.
Secondly, many women would not return to work because the obstacles might be too difficult to negotiate. We would then be limiting our talent pool, and the diversity of that talent, potentially depleting women’s added value in many areas of UK business and the public sector.
And finally, women have fought long and hard for the right to be mothers and workers, sometimes even to their disadvantage with the perennial juggling act of trying to balance work and the family (as men still tend to make less of a contribution to the latter). If maternity rights were abolished, then women would be forced to either risk their careers or sacrifice their desire for children and a family life. Would this be psychologically healthy for UK society? Would we really want to prevent women from developing their ambitions, to box them into only one role or another? As Virginia Woolf stated in Professions for Women “Even when the path is nominally open —when there is nothing to prevent a woman from being a doctor, a lawyer, a civil servant—there are many phantoms and obstacles, as I believe, looming in her way”.
Very well put. An article in the Guardian on this (a view weeks ago) and the comments underneath made me so mad that I started a blog in the first place
. I hope there is more level-headed discussion on this issue. Thanks.