Mums in Manchester are backing calls for the government to extend maternity leave amid the coronavirus lockdown. New parents say they have missed out on many of the opportunities they would have had with their newborns, such as engaging with other families at baby groups and accessing vital services in their communities.
More than 180k people have now signed a petition calling for maternity leave to be extended by three months - 'to allow for this development and bonding to take place'.
Maternity leave is a legal right here in the UK and this does not change because of the current pandemic. As long as an employee meets all of the qualifying conditions for Statutory Maternity Pay, then an employer must pay it by law, regardless of how the