Conservative plans to exempt smaller firms from new maternity and paternity leave changes are being opposed by their Liberal Democrat coalition partners.
The Tories want to help firms with 10 or less employees by allowing them to negotiate paternity leave directly with staff but the Lib Dems claim that such moves would break EU laws.
From next month, if a mother goes back to work without taking a full year’s maternity leave, her partner can take the remaining time as paternity leave, to a maximum of six months. It is thought that Business Secretary Vince Cable had originally backed plans to help smaller firms, faced with the new legislation, but a Lib Dem source said: “Vince also recognises that there are other ways to help small firms, such as giving them access to finance, that could perhaps be of more benefit than trying to water down employment laws.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365941/Lib-Dem-blow-maternity-leave-relief-small-firms.html