Any changes to the law surrounding maternity leave should "seek to minimise the administrative burden" for small employers.
Chris Hannat, head of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "Small employers … really struggle to cover prolonged absences from the workplace and can find the administration of maternity and paternity leave complex."
Mr Hannat's comments come after the Conservative leader David Cameron revealed his plans for parental leave in the UK.
Speaking on GMTV, Mr Cameron said that such leave should be "completely flexible".
Under current government proposals, maternity leave will be extend to 52 weeks by 2010 - after the first 26 weeks parents will be able to choose if the mother or father remains at home.
According to Mr Cameron, this choice should also apply to the first 26 weeks as well.
Last week, Tanya Hine of the British Association of Women Entrepreneurs said that mothers returning to work often find themselves at the bottom of the career ladder.
