6 days ago
Parents criticise poor parental leave in Guernsey as it ranks among the worst in the Western world
New parents in Guernsey say they are frustrated over the island's parental leave provision, which is among the worst in the Western world.
Unlike Jersey and the UK, Guernsey does not force employers to offer paid maternity or paternity leave. Instead, parents can receive a statutory allowance that is less than minimum wage.
One mother, Constance Walden, says: "Every mother I spoke to at some stage was concerned that, financially, they weren't being paid for a period of their maternity at least. It's a shame we don't have that same assistance."
Constance adds that some islanders are having to dip into savings to cover the difference.
She explains: "Obviously, it wasn't a surprise knowing what I was going to be paid; it was part of my contract.
"But the reality of when you are pregnant and going on maternity leave is very different. I did rely on my savings."
The amount of maternity leave a mother can take in Guernsey is much less than in Jersey and the UK, and as it stands, there is no legal requirement for employers to pay for it.
Also, teacher Kat Arlington found out that if a parent has not been on the island long enough, they are not eligible for the full 26 weeks.
She says it means she has been forced to turn down work opportunities, explaining: "We decided to be really transparent with the head teacher and to let him know from the outset.
"But then, that's when he informed me that the maternity leave would only be three months, so unfortunately, we couldn't go ahead with the position."
Guernsey law allows just two weeks of compulsory paternity leave for fathers - 50 weeks below Jersey and the UK - and no statutory pay.
There are also concerns over the island's birth rate, which is unsustainably low.
Over the past 10 years, it has dropped by 33% to 422 births last year.
ITV News also understands that leave and pay security changes widely between professions, with people now choosing jobs based on what parental leave is offered.
Those differences are something Teresa Bott, manager of the children's nursery Bright Beginnings, says she has heard first-hand.
She says: "Having spoken to some of our parents recently, I think it's not a one-size-fits-all and perhaps that's the problem.
"It depends on who you work for. It depends on the policies in your own place of work."
While Guernsey's maternity and paternity legislation has stagnated, some countries have made massive leaps forward.
In Estonia, a parent can take up to one and a half years off at full pay.
Arther Panov, a Family Policy Advisor at the Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs, told ITV News: "During the parental leave, you are entitled to 100% of your income that you were earning one year before the beginning of the pregnancy.
"When this maternity leave ends, any parent, either mother or father, is entitled to share parental leave, which can last up to when a child is three years old."
ITV News contacted the new President of Employment and Social Security, Deputy Tina Bury, on whether there are plans to change Guernsey's legislation.
However, we were told that the committee needs some time before it can decide its priorities for the political term.
