Extending maternity leave by four weeks will cost society €322m, according to research into the costs and benefits of extra time off, carried out for the social affairs ministry.

The European parliament is poised to extend maternity leave to 18 or 20 weeks. Caretaker social affairs minister Piet Hein Donner is opposed to the extension, arguing there are no real health benefits to mother or child.
And the researchers say any improvement in the health of mother and baby will not compensate for the extra costs to employers and society ‘in terms of lost production’.
Earnings
In addition, new mothers who have longer maternity leave suffer a ‘small but negative’ effect on their ‘earnings potential’. The research is based on an analysis of international academic literature.
Although maternity leave is paid for by the UVW benefits agency, employers have extra costs in terms of benefit premiums and replacing new mothers while they are on leave.
MPs has asked for the research because of concerns new mothers are more likely to report in sick once their statutory maternity leave of a total 16 weeks is over.