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It has been reported that draft legislation has been passed by a committee of the European Parliament, which extends maternity leave across Europe from 14 weeks to 20 weeks on full pay. In the UK women get 52 weeks statutory maternity leave (26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave and 26 Additional... read more

The EAT has recently considered the duty of employers to conduct pregnancy risk assessments under regulation 16 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and held that, pregnant workers are not automatically entitled to a pregnancy risk assessment in the absence of... read more

There have been comments recently that increasing rights and additional legislative protection for women are having the opposite result to the one wanted. In a bid to address inequality the government has improved maternity rights i.e. by ensuring women are entitled to the same benefits whilst... read more

A recent Employment Tribunal decision (in Thomas v Arts Council of Wales, Cardiff 17.06.09, ET1604301/08) usefully illustrates the difficulties an employer can get itself into when it requires a female employee to return to work full-time after maternity leave.  Unless it is... read more

An Irish waitress has been awarded €30,000 compensation for sex discrimination after the hotel she was working for failed to prevent a male customer from sexually harassing her.  She alleged that the customer had approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her chest.  Upon... read more