“Today’s announcement by the Chancellor is a great step forwards in terms of being more inclusive to working parents – employers have a duty of care to be sympathetic to those with newborns that require extra care. It’s a highly sensitive issue and employers need to tread carefully, but the fact that staff will be entitled to extra pay on top of their statutory maternity and paternity entitlements will certainly help ease financial pressures at an emotional and stressful time.
But this is just the beginning. The lives of new parents’ lives can be made much easier by offering flexible hours or the option to work remotely, whereas subsidies for childcare assistance are also a massive help. The more flexible, the better, and employers will almost certainly be rewarded by greater staff loyalty, and better retention rates.”