EXTENSION TO MATERNITY AND PATERNITY LEAVE DUE TO COVID-19

I recently presented a petition to the House of Commons, calling on the UK Government to introduce an extension to maternity and paternity leave for new and expectant parents due to the coronavirus outbreak.

This has been an extremely difficult period for all of us, but it has been even more stressful for new parents, with pregnant women being classified as “extremely vulnerable” during Covid19, and new parents isolated from their support networks of family and friends. The Covid19 lockdown could have a significant effect on new-born children’s development, as they have been denied important developmental experiences such as meeting grandparents and other babies.

The UK Government has implemented a number of key measures to protect workers, such as the Job Retention Scheme, and it is important that measures are also put in place for new and expectant parents.

You can watch my contribution below.