Plans to allow workers to share maternity leave have been outlined by the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg.

The proposals, which were first announced by the previous Labour
Government, will allow new fathers to take the final months of the
mother's maternity leave if she opts to return to work early.

All mothers would still be guaranteed the first six weeks off after
birth, paid at 90% of their pay, while fathers would retain their
existing two weeks’ paternity leave.

However, the new right will enable women who qualify for statutory
maternity leave to transfer a proportion of their leave to their
partner. The leave could be shared between parents 'in a whole range of
ways', or divided up as couples see fit, according to Mr Clegg.

The Deputy PM also argued that the current rules are 'Edwardian' and 'patronise women and marginalise men'.

'Both parents could, say, be off at the same time if they wanted to
be, and leave could - in agreement with employers - be taken in a number
of chunks rather than a single block,' he said.

'Crucially we're also looking at what can be done to encourage men to
take more leave. Possibly, for example, through use-it-or-lose it
blocks reserved for fathers. International evidence shows how important
these can be in increasing take up amongst men.'

While the move is likely to be welcomed by parenting groups, business leaders have expressed concerns over the proposals.

‘Measures like these will make it more difficult for businesses to
function and actually make it less likely that they will be able to
employ additional staff,’ said Andrew Cave, from the Federation of Small
Businesses (FSB).

'It shows a complete lack of understanding of how small businesses
operate and the pressures that are placed on employers with the existing
maternity rules,' he added. 'When you lose someone on maternity leave
at the moment you could lose a quarter of your workforce. This doubles
the risk.'

The new rules apply to parents of children due or matched for
adoption on or after 3 April 2011. However, the Coalition Government
will consult on a new system of flexible leave which it hopes to
implement in 2015.