Employers could be forced to keep open the jobs of women on maternity leave for a year, following a deal between unions and the government.

The proposal follows last month's National Policy Forum in response to union demands that there be 'no detriment for mothers coming back to work'.

Firms are currently forced to hold a woman's job open for up to six months' maternity leave.

David Frost, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, told the Daily Mail newspaper: “This is a further erosion of flexibility in the labour market, which is bad news for our members in the current economic climate
“For small firms in particular, keeping an employee's post open for this period of time is simply not possible and is only likely to get harder when the agency workers directive is implemented.”

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