Maternity leave costs organisations around £8,500 per employee, according to our latest research among 181 employers.
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Managing maternity leave
The cost of maternity leave: the 2012 XpertHR survey
Almost half of employers enhance maternity pay to above the statutory minimum, according to our latest research, which also finds that the average annual bill for maternity leave per organisation, including the cost of replacements, is around £125,000.

Good practice: Maternity
The latest addition to the XpertHR good practice manual guides employers on supporting employees who are pregnant, on maternity leave or have returned to work following maternity leave.

Line manager briefing on basic maternity rights
This line manager briefing covers the basic rights of employees who become pregnant and take maternity leave.

Dealing with keeping-in-touch days during maternity leave
This guide provides information on employers' obligations when it comes to keeping-in-touch (KIT) days during maternity leave, including the timing of KIT days, the type of work that can be carried out and work that counts as a KIT day.

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Take part in our research
Complete our absence and labour turnover rates survey
Take part in our confidential ongoing research into absence and labour turnover rates to ensure you receive the most up-to-date figures. Completing it will also mean you get a complimentary copy of the findings from last year.

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Occupational health round-up
SPREADE: a proactive approach to alcohol awareness
A new method of managing alcohol-related issues at work provides employers with a set of tools to address the drinking habits of its workforce proactively and minimise the costs of any knock-on effects.

How occupational health can help to manage presenteeism
Employees who come into work when feeling ill will not be able to perform to the best of their ability, which has a knock-on effect on productivity. What can occupational health do to help manage this situation?

People watching: the current state of absence management
Chaotic absence management is damaging welfare and productivity, according to research from insurance firm Ellipse. CEO John Ritchie reveals the findings.

Employee engagement versus employee wellbeing
Wellbeing specialist Dr Bridget Juniper reveals why employers should shift their focus from engagement to wellbeing when investigating efforts to improve workplace performance.

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Edited highlights from XpertHR
› New PowerPoint presentations on sickness absence and grievance

› Managing absence during the Olympic Games

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Latest from our blogs
› Are the HR trenches the best place to be in 2012?

› Bleak outlook for unemployment in 2012 and 2013

› Is job creation in the private sector overtaking job losses in the public sector?

› Top 10 HR questions - March 2012

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Editor's message
Editor's message

COUNTING THE COST OF MATERNITY LEAVE
Maternity leave costs organisations around £8,500 per employee, according to our latest research among 181 employers. This includes the cost of finding a replacement and wages paid during the maternity leave period.

The statutory minimum rate of maternity pay stands at 90% of the woman's earnings for the first six weeks, with the remainder of the maternity pay period at £135.45, or 90% of average weekly earnings if less than £135.45.

However, just under half of the employers in our survey told us they give employees on maternity leave a rate of pay that is more generous than the statutory amount, with public-sector organisations far more likely to do so. However, fewer than one in five respondents within the manufacturing-and-production sector pay more than the statutory rate.

There is some evidence to suggest that employers are moving away from enhanced maternity pay, but how much of this has been down to difficult trading circumstances and how much can be attributed to a changing strategic direction is not yet known. Watch this space...

Email Noelle Murphy
Attendance and absence, XpertHR


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