The average cost of a new baby is £5,464 in the first year of their child’s life – increasing by four per cent to £5,666 for those living in London.
It’s obviously excludes the cost of living, and any childcare required to raise the child, so it’s easy to see how money can be tight for new mums in maternity leave.
While the UK ranks well for paid maternity leave when compared to other countries, there is a distinction between paid and week paid, and when it is compared to countries providing well-paid maternity leave it slips down the scale.
New and expectant mothers have a number of legal rights in the workplace.
Pregnant employees enjoy the right to be paid for time off work that is spent receiving antenatal care (employers cannot request that employees make up this time by working additional hours).
