Maternity leave 'too expensive'

New mothers returned to work six weeks early

New mothers are returning to work early, because they cannot afford to take their full maternity leave, a shop workers' union has said.

Usdaw said women were returning to the workplace on average six weeks before their statutory maternity pay ran out.

Two-thirds of those returning to work early did so because they could not afford to stay at home, the union said.

And as many as 78% of new mothers said they would have liked more time looking after their babies.

Research by the union found women would need on average £7,000 to take a full 12 months off.

We are focusing on how we make pregnancy and maternity leave a positive experience for every woman not just those who can afford it John Hannett, Usdaw general secretary

Existing rules entitle new mothers to 26 weeks off, regardless of how long they have worked for their employer.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) pays 90% of average earnings for the first six weeks of leave followed by 20 weeks at £102.80 per week.

New mothers may also be entitled to take another 26 weeks of additional leave.

This is usually unpaid, but some companies will contribute.

Extended option

However, Usdaw said some retail companies did not top up SMP, which made it very hard for new mothers to stay at home.

The government recently pledged it would extend maternity leave from six to nine months in 2007.

As part of its proposals, it has suggested extending SMP from 26 to 39 weeks and, later on, to 52 weeks.

But Usdaw said many women shop workers will not be able to afford this extra leave, unless retailers and the government increased maternity pay.

"The fact is that most women will need to take maternity leave at some point in their lives so we are focusing on how we make pregnancy and maternity leave a positive experience for every woman not just those who can afford it, " said John Hannet, Usdaw general secretary.