Maternity Leave - what is a good deal?

[undercovercarrot]

Hello! I'm fairly new here and so sorry if this is a bit of a naive question but what do you consider to be a good deal when it comes to maternity leave? whats normal/whats great/whats poor?

My work offers 1 years leave with 26 weeks full pay (if you have worked there over a year) and then 13 wks SMP - it seems quite good to me, but have nothing to really compare..

Thanks!

[Hawkmoth]

That's what I've got, and it is a good deal.

[hf128219]

That's very good. That's about as good as it gets.

[TaurielTest]

Tis good. I thought I was doing well with 18 weeks full pay then SMP for the rest of nine months. I think the minimum legal requirement is only 6 weeks at full pay?

[PlainAndAble]

I will be getting 16 weeks full pay, followed by 24 weeks half pay and up to 13 further weeks unpaid.

I will have the option to work half my hours during the period of 24 weeks half pay period and maintain a full wage. I did this option in 2007-8 and the way my annual leave and Bank Holidays were calculated, I was off work for 11 months on full wages. Scheme was so good, am expecting again in September.

[undercovercarrot]

Thanks muchly for your answers - i thought it seemed pretty good. we are moving away so im just working out if it makes sense to stay and commute or look for a new job but think i'll stay..

[ilovemydogandmrobama]

had 39 weeks full pay

[undercovercarrot]

I want to work where you work! thats amazing.

[dinkyboysmum]

grab it and run!! thats a good deal!
i get 6 weeks at 90% then SMP (£130ish) for the remainder fo the nine month. stings!

[Harimad]

Sounds like a great deal to me.. I had 8 weeks at full pay then 10 weeks at 50%, then statutory...

[McSnail]

undercover - Are you sure it's not 26 weeks SMP and 13 weeks full pay? That's the 'common' one.

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

I knew I shouldn't have clicked on this...

Stat min here both times. 90% for 6 weeks then about £100 per week up til the 39 weeks then sod all.

Tightfisted bastards....

[MrsJamin]

dinkyboysmum - 90% for first 6 weeks IS SMP - your job isn't offering anything over what they have to give (sorry).

[giddykipper]

I would say that anything over statutory is good. That's all I got.

[rubyslippers]

that is excellent

i get stautory only - 6 weeks at 90% of full pay and 33 weeks at SMP

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

mrsjammi your deal sounds excellent to me though

[OhBling]

Banks and professional services firms tend to be good - what Undercover is getting is what we get. It's the only thing keeping me here currently.

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

Oooh i was in financial services and it was shite.

Hugely variable across even different parts of the same sector i think.

Eg multinationals will often have crappy benefits if the benefits of the "home" country are poor. Otherwise people around the world start getting worked up and before you know it there is a revolution.

[LaDiDaDi]

That's fab.

I work for the NHS and I'll get 90% for 6 weeks then 20 weeks at 50% plus SMP then 13 weeks of SMP then nothing.

I will not be taking a year off (unless we get rich in the interim) as I'm the main earner.

[JetLi]

6 weeks full, 12 weeks half and then SMP. I'm sure the package was better when I joined the company 10 years ago, but that's the deal at our place now....

[trixymalixy]

I work in financial services and just get SMP .

[BBisfinallyPG]

the current smp is 6 weeks @90% and then £123.26 for the further 33 weeks