"Work-life balance requires work as well as life" argues the Times' leader writer, making an obvious point that the government appears to be in danger of forgetting – "families need business as much as businesses plainly need families".
Ms Hewitt naively contends that because an increase in paternity or maternity pay would be met by the Government, a “family-friendly” policy can be found without an invoice being sent to companies. In reality, a substantial cost would be transferred to the private sector. The disruption caused by shifts of personnel and the uncertainty created by the need to hold open a job right until the moment that maternity leave ends is substantial. It is a significantly weightier burden for small business than for larger concerns, but it is not negligible for even the biggest corporations. It creates a disincentive to hire for fear that it will become even more challenging to manage employees, especially younger men and women.