Expectant mothers in the Anguilla Public Service have been given greater flexibility to determine their maternity leave in amendments to General Orders signed by the Governor today.
The changes allow officers to work right up to the date of childbirth if they wish, provided that, if they wish to continue to work in the two weeks preceding the estimated date of confinement, they provide a certificate from a doctor stating it is safe for their health and that of their child. Previously, officers were required to take four weeks of their thirteen week paid maternity leave entitlement prior to the birth.
All expectant mothers have also been given, for the first time, the right to request reasonable adjustments to working arrangements to facilitate a later start of maternity leave.
The new arrangements come into effect immediately.
Commenting, Bonnie Richardson-Lake, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Social Development said:
“The World Health Organisation’s guidelines are that mothers should aim to breastfeed their children for their first six months. Currently, UNICEF estimate that only around 5% of mothers in Anguilla do this. This matters, because there is much evidence that the longer a child is breastfed, the better its life chances.
By removing the requirement for mothers in the Public Service to take four of their thirteen weeks paid maternity leave before the birth, it is hoped that officers will have more time at home with their new children.
This change brings General Orders into line with arrangements in other countries in the region and more widely. We would encourage other employers in Anguilla to consider whether there are equivalent updates they might make to their staff handbooks. ”
The new section of General Orders is available from Public Administration for Public Service officers (and shortly on http://www.gov.ai/generalorders.php).
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
