Nick Clegg: Paternity leave allowance is "measly"

Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has attacked the current system of paternity leave, while several business leaders have expressed their concern at the number of changes to working practices.

Mr Clegg described the current allowance of two weeks'' leave for a new father as "measly" and indicated the new administration may implement more flexible benefits for new parents, such as a sharing of leave allowances.

Both the coalition partners committed to these new measures in their manifestos, but there is concern among businesses, the Daily Mail says.

These issues centre on the amount of new legislation introduced under the Labour government and a perceived resistance to further alterations under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat administration.

Under the new proposals, the mother''s 52 weeks of maternity leave could be divided between both parents, potentially allowing for 26 weeks off simultaneously for each partner.

Two weeks of statutory paternity leave are currently available to all workers who have been with their employer for half a year, but some firms offer extra time off as part of a flexible benefits package.
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