Parental leave ‘needs more flexibility’!
Women may find that laws regarding maternity leave are damaging their career prospects, according to an article on the BBC News website.
Under current legislation, a women can take up to 52 weeks off work after having a child, with statutory maternity pay for up to 39 weeks, while fathers are entitled to one or two weeks paternity leave.
Nicole Brewer, chief executive of the equalities and human rights commission, said that some employers disregard job applications from women of a child-bearing age.
She said there should be more emphasis placed on shared parental leave, to even out the responsibility of taking time off work for a new baby.
“There’s been a very welcome increase in maternity leave, but we think the focus should be on letting parents decide who takes parental leave after the first six months,” explained Ms Brewer to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Brendan Barber of the union body the TUC added that extending flexible working rights to parents and the option to transfer maternity leave to fathers could help the situation.
Research by the equal opportunities commission found that 5% of women who tell their employer they are pregnant feel under pressure to leave their job.
It seems only fair that the workload of a newborn infant be balanced out between the parent, and employers should start to recognise this….
Discuss…
Ashlee Simpson and Olives!
Ok so most people know that when you’ve got a bun in the oven you crave a strange array of foods. (you’ve never seen anything more gross than jellied eels and iced cream – I’ll get a slap for this 
)
Apparently pregnant celeb Ashlee Simpson is craving Olives!
According to new husband Pete Wentz his wife is craving the finer things as her pregnancy progresses which includes those yummy green olives on just about everything she eats. He told reporter Ryan Seacrest recently that it is an “anytime kind-of-thing. You always have to be ready.”
He also filled Ryan in on all the joys of standing by his wife during her pregnancy including the doctors appointments where he “freaks out”. He admits that they still do not know the sex of the baby, but that they hope to find out within a couple of weeks when the doctors go in for another look. I myself think it’s wise to know the sex of the baby as when you need to mentally prepare youself for parenthood you need every scrap of info you can!
Until the baby arrives sometime later this year the couple is content to sit back and enjoy married life together.
My advice is make the most of the uninterupted nights sleep
