Select committee: Petitions Committee
Recommendation 7
First Report: The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave
Published 6 Jul 2020
Paragraph 35
Petitions Committee The Government's response to Coronavirus All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
In addition to the immediate financial consequences for pregnant women of being put on Statutory Sick Pay or unpaid leave—often when they should have been suspended on full pay—in many cases the loss of income that results can also mean women lose their rights to Statutory Maternity Pay. This is unacceptable. Nor should anyone having to spend a period on Statutory Sick Pay or unpaid leave due to following guidelines to isolate, including the new track and trace policy, be penalised for their compliance. The Government was able to amend the Statutory Maternity Pay calculations to disregard the lower income of periods on furlough. We recommend the Government should also do so for women whose incomes have fallen through no fault of their own because their employers have failed to follow the Government’s guidance on how pregnant women should be treated.
From: Petitions Committee, First Report: The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave (HC 526), paragraph 35, 6 July 2020
Government response
The impact of COVID-19 on maternity and parental leave: Government Response to the Committee’s First Report
The government responded to the whole report on 29 July 2020 (deadline 6 September 2020).
Second Special Report - The impact of COVID-19 on maternity and parental leave: Government Response to the Committee's First Report
Published 9 September 2020.
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it is "still not persuaded that there is a need to extend entitlements to paid Maternity Leave at this time", while agreeing with some recommendations on data and guidance.
- On data, it agrees that access to data on uptake of parental leave and pay "is important", and says survey results "will be published in due course".
- On extending parental leave and pay, it says it is "not minded to extend entitlements to parental leave and pay at the current time", citing cost to the taxpayer and the additional burden on employers.
- On furlough for pregnant women, it says the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is temporary and closes at the end of October, and that employers must suspend pregnant employees on full pay where a risk assessment identifies a risk and controls cannot be put in place.
- It says it remains "committed to extending" redundancy protections "as soon as parliamentary time allows", and that the three-month tribunal time limit is being considered, with a response "in due course".