By Tim Castle
London - New fathers will be entitled to up to six months parental leave on the birth of a child under legislation to be put before parliament, the British government said.
Fathers would be granted the time off if the mother of the child decided to return to work after six month's leave, swapping the remainder of her annual entitlement with her partner.
The government said it intended the new rules to be in law by April this year, just before the expected May 6 date for the general election, and come into effect from April 2011.
The opposition Conservatives, favourites to win the election, and the opposition Liberal Democrats said the government's plans were too inflexible. Both parties support extending fathers' parental leave from the current two weeks.
Employers' representatives at the British Chambers of Commerce said the move was an unwelcome extra cost for businesses struggling out of the recession and called for a three-year halt to new employment regulations.
"Mothers will be able to choose to transfer the last six months of their maternity leave to the father, with three months paid," said Women and Equality Minister Harriet Harman.
"This gives families radically more choice and flexibility in how they balance work and care of children, and enables fathers to play a bigger part in bringing up their children."
Conservative women and equality spokeswoman Theresa May said the plans were a "pale imitation" of her party's proposals.
"Conservative plans will offer fathers up to double the amount of paid paternity leave compared to the government's own policy and will give parents more flexibility as they will be able to take their leave simultaneously," she said.
Liberal Democrat children's spokesman David Laws said: "Instead of more rigid and complex reforms, the Liberal Democrats would introduce fully flexible parental leave which can be shared between parents as they see fit."
The BCC said it was the wrong time to impose another burden on businesses already facing 26 billion pounds of extra costs over the next four years from planned employment regulations and taxes.
"It's constant tinkering from both parties. Last week we had both the Tories and the Labour government talking about their family-friendly, flexible-working policies," a BCC spokesperson said.
"If you are an employer out there who has just come through the worst recession for generations and you are trying hard to stay afloat, it's not good stuff.
"It's not that we are opposed to the idea, it's just the wrong time." - Reuters