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Women are the biggest losers
Posted on 19-09-2007	Email To Friend Print Version
New report shows women are the biggest losers as businesses turn on women of child-bearing age in the wake of new maternity legislation London 12^th September 2007…… Women are the biggest losers as Britain's businesses get to grips with the ever increasing burden of bureaucracy hitting business, according to a major new report from legal services website TakeLegalAdvice.com. The independent report, conducted on behalf of TakeLegalAdvice.com, the law firm search and comparison site, reveals that 63% of senior executives are finding the increasing burden of legislation* such as longer periods for maternity and paternity leave, age discrimination, holiday entitlements and statutory disciplinary procedures now poses a 'serious threat' to their companies. With maternity legislation now allowing women to take up to 12 months maternity leave, companies are increasingly worried about recruiting potential mothers. Almost one in five (19%) of UK directors say they have personally avoided hiring women of child bearing age because of the legal risk of being caught out by constant changes in rules on maternity pay and time off. When asked if other directors in their firms have done this the figure rises to 21%. Male directors say they have avoided hiring potential mothers more often (22%) than women directors (13%). Directors over 55 have blocked the hiring of young women most often of any type of senior manager (29%). Young directors aged 24 to 34, have done this the least often (12%). Ruth Lea said: “Regulation on maternity leave and pay are meant to help working women but it’s having the opposite effect. The maternity leave rules have made life much more difficult for business who end up having to cope without a key person for anything up to a year and, as the report reveals one in five have avoided hiring women of child bearing age, thereby actively discriminating against women in the workplace.”