How can I find out good employers wrt maternity pay? And how long do you have to work there to get it?!

[beaniebaby25]

Hi there

I'm looking to move jobs and need to take into account what maternity packages are like in other organisations. I'm not pregnant yet but planning it in the next year/year and a half - and I've heard that with some places you have to be there a certain length of time to qualify for a good package?

Can anyone point me towards any good websites or anything? Surely someone somewhere has done a 'top maternity employers' or something. I'm sure the Guardian did similar but can't find anything.

And then... length of service to get best package? Is there a fairly common length of time? Short of finding a new job, accepting it and starting, is there any way of finding out beforehand without having to ask?

hope someone can help me!

[beaniebaby25]

Anyone?

[juneybean]

AFAIK you only have to work a week before falling pregnant

Because it's something like have worked there 26 weeks (6 months) in the 15th week before the EWC ??

[wonderingwondering]

I think to get SMP as opposed to maternity allowance you have to have worked somewhere for about six months before falling pregnant: I can't remember the exact calculation but I only just qualified for it, and I had been in the job six months before conceiving. That was the rule for my maternity pay which was more than SMP, but based on the same qualifying period, I recall.

You are eligible for maternity leave etc straight away, no matter how long you have worked for.

The public sector is generally the best for paid maternity leave. What field are you in?

[beaniebaby25]

i'm in financial services at the mo, but copywriter by trade so can move about. my options are quite open (or will be, once the market picks up ).

Thanks for replies. find it really hard to get any actual information from the internet. where i am now, you have to be there for 8 months before conceiving to receive an elevated 'top-up' level i think...

it's so confusing! and one of the things you can't really afford to mess up if the finances are tight...

[elliott]

In general, big public sector employers tend to be best. Local authorities best of all as far as I can see, but NHS/eduction also good. After that, I would imagine big well established employers who in the past would have had strong unions are likely to have good policies and provision.
Small employers who just can't afford enhanced provision, very male dominated dog eat dog sectors (think City) and corporations who don't give a toss (think Tesco) are not likely to be great. imho, not backed up by research!

[stealthsquiggle]

Oooh tricky one as you clearly can't ask this sort of stuff.

top employers for working families - might this help?

[elliott]

normally to qualify for an employers' enhanced benefits you have to have been there a year.

[4SucksFake]

It really varies. Lot of companies require you to be there for a year by the 15th week prior to EDC before you get any enhanced package.

And some of the good packages (think 6 months + on full pay) are tapered by employers - e.g. if only been there 1 year, you get SMP, 2 years you get 2 months full salary etc.)

I think best employer for mat benefits is Ford.

[beaniebaby25]

Thanks everyone. great link too, stealth - i'll have a look.

I'm in that situation where I'd like to try for a baby soon but need to be able to rely on good mat pay (eg 90-100% pay for as long as poss)... i suppose like anyone. but i have an opportunity to go somewhere else now, and i just wish it was easier to find out about this stuff from one source!

thank for your help so far

[CheeeseOnToast]

So I just have to wait until (if/when) I get a new job and then try and find out maternity benefits after offer and before acceptance? Is that what people do?

[Northernlurker]

Obviously maternity pay is important but don't just accept a job because of the benefits. You've still got to work there before going off and then (one assumes) go back for a certain length of time for the enhanced packages to be paid and if you pick purely on the basis of package then you may find you are miserable. All things being equal then go for the better package but it's the job not the maternity leave that should be your focus imo.

[MyNameIsURL]

And there is always the possibility that you don't fall pregnant quickly/at all so choosing a job just for maternity package is a bit short-sighted

[flowerybeanbag]

What NL said. Don't choose a job based on the maternity benefits, seriously.

Public sector a good bet, and usually much easier to find out specifics by googling as they tend to put their whole policies on the internet more readily than private sector companies do.

Otherwise very difficult to find out. I am currently doing a benchmarking exercise around maternity and other family friendly benefits for a client and finding out even basic information is like pulling teeth!

[LIZS]

Employers set their own rules for any enhanced packages. As such they can withdraw or amend the terms of the scheme after you have started, limit the grades to which it applies and can make any enhanced payments conditional upon you returning to work for a defined minimum period after ML. You are unlikely to get this information in advance of accepting a job and many won't offer more than SMP. I think you'd have to work on the basis of receiving SMP only and treat anything else as a bonus. Remember you can keep other benefits while on ML as you are technically employed for that period.

[tostaky]

I have heard TfL is very very good if you are in London that is and you must have worked there for a year.