Paid maternity leave?

[ShirleyPhallus]

I’m not ready for babies yet but looking at changing jobs and starting a family in next year or two. I thought maternity leave would be a key consideration but looking at my company’s policy, it’s only 3 months paid full salary and then statutory thereafter. Would love to know others experiences of their company’s maternity pay. I work in the city in a big firm along the lines of law / management consulting etc (and sorry for lack of paragraphs!)

I got five months full pay and four months half pay. Then the rest statutory pay.

Charity sector.

Six weeks 90% pay, to 9 months on statuary pay and then nothing up to 12 months. Then they fired me first morning back, bless them. And then I took them to tribunal. .

I start mine in three weeks. Once I've used up my holiday I get statutory maternity pay - 90% of my salary for six weeks and then SMP (c£140 per week) until nine months, nothing for the last three if I decide to take the full year.

I’m not sure if I’m reading this right, but my company offers 3 months full paid then statutory. So do you get 3 months, plus the 6 weeks at 90%, then after the statutory?

I haven’t had a child yet so no experience of actually taking it but I’m in a business (non-lawyer) role in a silver circle law firm and our policy is 6 weeks full pay and 40% for the remaining year, which seems relatively generous compared to other policies I’ve seen on here. What you really want is a public sector number, the mat leave policies there seem amazing!

I don't think you do, but worth confirming exactly with HR as they are paying more than statutory so can do it any which way as ultimately they are giving you more.

I got 3 months at 80% and then SMP. Junior team members only get the statutory deal, which is 6 weeks pay and then SMP. Your deal is about average for non public sector I'd say.

We get 18 weeks full pay then statutory until 9 months is up.

Wow. 4 weeks full pay, 2 further weeks on 90% 12 weeks on 50% 12 weeks statutory & 12 weeks unpaid. Education sector.

The 6w at 90% is the first 6w so if you have 3 months full pay it's included in that period. I got statutory, which I think is the norm for medium sized businesses. The only people I know with enhanced packages were either public sector or in big multinational companies.

No - you'll get three months of full pay then onto weekly statutory mat pay (which I think is about £134 a week). I got 6 months full pay and if I hadn't gone back, would've had another 3 months of SMP then 3 months of nothing. I was desperate to get back so it wasn't a problem!!

Private sector.

And do you usually have to be employed for a certain amount of time to qualify for a company’s maternity pay?

NHS. Got 6 weeks at 90% then 18 weeks at 50% SMP for 39 weeks. You have the option to spread it over 9 months so you have more equal payments. From 9 to 12 months no money

6 months full pay, 3 months smp then 3 months unpaid.

Working for a big manufacturing company.

I’m the same as Bobbie. However, I have a friend in the financial services industry and she only got two weeks full pay then straight onto SMP!!!

6 weeks full pay (90% SMP, 10% OMP) then 12 weeks half pay + SMP then a further 21 weeks of just SMP to make 39 weeks SMP in total. Final 12 weeks no pay if off for the full year. Local authority. Sorry for lack of paragraphs too.

Hi

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid for up to 39 weeks. This is the minimum an employer has to provide
• 90% of your average weekly earnings (before tax) for the first 6 weeks
• £145.18 or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks

Your company has better maternity policy than SMP so you’ll receive full pay for the first 3 months then move onto £145 per week.
You won’t ever receive more than your monthly salary.

You should also be entitled to 10 KIT days to either support you transition back to work or use as a top up for your salary - but these days are paid as per your day rate if you divided your salary.
Best not to work KIT days when your on full maternity pay as you won’t be entitled to them as it would exceed your monthly pay.

Hope that helps!

Oh and I got 12 weeks full pay. 6 weeks half pay. And then the minimum. I worked all KIT days

www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility More info at.

12 weeks full pay, 12 weeks half pay then SMP. I only took 2 weeks annual leave pre baby plus bank holidays so had 5weeks AL to carry (employers discretion).

I started maternity leave June 2017. I got 22weeks full pay and had 17 weeks statutory maternity pay then had my 5weeks annual leave added on the end.i picked up about £650-£700 a month on the statutory months. Had to save a few grand while still pregnant to bump this up so bills were covered. I work in food manufacturing. I was desperate to return to work, probably wouldn’t have as long if we were to have another baby.

I got 6 months full pay and then 3 on smp. When it says you get full pay, you actually get smp and your company tops it up to full pay. 6 months was quite unusual and generous. They reduced for new starters to 3 months. Mainly because lots of women, wouldn't return after maternity. Contract states if you don't return after maternity you owe them the 6 months back (minus smp). But they never chased women for it if they didn't return. Which company wants to be in the newspapers for hounding new mums for money.

To qualify for the enhanced maternity pay at my work you have to have been employed for at least 12 months there or been back 12 months from a previous maternity leave. I also have to return for at least 6 months otherwise I have to pay the enhanced pay back immediately.

Oh and yes you had to be there a while to qualify. It was a sliding scale.