The extension of maternity leave may render women less employable, Malta Institute of Management president Reuben Buttigieg said during the annual networking event.
"It is indeed a superficial analysis to accept the extension of maternity leave because government is incurring the cost.
"Government will never incur the entire cost as it will never cover the related ancilliary costs in extending the said leave including training, recruitment costs and retraining costs. Solutions have to be found to make work more mother friendly."
Mr Buttigieg said that a mere extension of maternity leave was not the solution.
"On the contrary it may render women less employable. The nearly obsession to increase women participation is leading to not necessarily taking the appropriate measures to encourage same.
"Perhaps one should first of all consider we are talking of human beings and not mere numbers.
"Secondly although economically prima facie it may make sense to increase participation it is also an admission that we are not able to create the necessary economic growth to let women choose on whether they wish to remain or not in the working world."
Mr Buttigieg said that the lack of choice and the lack of economic growth that would lead to this may be affecting the country's birth rate.
A reform in the Employment and Industrial Relations Act was desperately needed and this should include areas that to date no legislation has thoroughly covered, including but not limited to, the unions recognition.
"The EIRA leaves too much room for interpretation which in itself may be creating unnecessary disputes. On the positive side it is very encouraging seeing the trade unions collaborating more and more.
Mr Buttigieg said that the tax system and the way the tax authorities were implementing it was of great concern.
"The approach and attitude taken in recent years by the tax compliance unit is to say the least deplorable.
"We have been hearing through witnesses in court cases the way entrepreneurs have been treated to the extent that one may say that some of them have been threatened by certain civil servants.
"It is also a shame that in spite of individuals winning court cases against the authorities yet the authorities proceeded with their own doing.
"Other incidents which clearly indicate that certain officials feel they are beyond any legislation clearly indicate the need of the tax ombudsman promised a few years back."
Mr Buttigieg said it is time to have a major tax reform to simplify tax and make it more entrepreneur friendly. The Final Withholding Tax on property needed to be removed as it only encouraged evasion in other sectors, he said.