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Original poster

Is this Mat Pay a 'good deal'?

59 replies

renlovesyou · 28/03/2011 22:59

Is 13 weeks full pay, followed by 26 weeks SMP, followed by 13 of nothing a good deal?

Im thinking thats average but snooty woman at work who hates children (has made it known) and has made my pregnant life hell thinks thats a great deal.

Is it?!

OP posts:
CharlotteBronteSaurus · 29/03/2011 09:38

sounds good to me.
6 weeks 90%, 8 weeks half pay plus SMP, then SMP here. that's public sector by the way. happyasiam, i think medics and senior civil servants get 6months full pay, but i don't know of any other public sector workers who do.

LoveLeonardCohen · 29/03/2011 09:56

Yes it's a good deal. I got 6 weeks at 90% then SMP....you are lucky

suzikettles · 29/03/2011 10:06

Happy - that's not the deal for the public sector although there may be some public sector employees offering it.

I'm NHS and got 6 weeks full pay, then another 20 weeks half pay and then the option of 6 months unpaid. Nowadays you'd also get the extra statutory weeks of SMP.

That's a great deal and I was very grateful for it but it wasn't 6 months full pay.

(Not wanting to seem picky, but there seems to be an inflated perception of what public sector benefits are at the moment - my "gold plated pension" isn't what you'd think it would be from reading newspaper reports either)

SardineQueen · 29/03/2011 10:18

SMP both times here.

i think that sounds like a good deal. I know that there are better ones, but there's always someone getting something better somewhere, no point in worrying about it. What you have got is a considerable enhancement over SMP, be happy Smile

And you're off til Dec so forget all about snooty-pants for now, don't dwell on her horribleness, it's ages til you have to see her again...

TattyDevine · 29/03/2011 10:22

I think I win

I got 6 months of full pay, 3 months of statutory, then 3 months of nothing.
I banked a bonus on the 1st May, then resigned on the 2nd.
Did not have to pay any maternity pay or bonus back Grin

Bumpsadaisie · 29/03/2011 10:29

I got 10 weeks full pay followed by 10 weeks half pay (the SMP was included in this). Followed by 19 weeks of SMP.

FlorenceCalamityandJoanofArc · 29/03/2011 10:34

I got 6 months full pay. Then quit. Grin

CheeseEnforcementAgency · 29/03/2011 10:39

Public sector- only stat pay here.

Anything above stat is good.

emskaboo · 29/03/2011 10:39

I'm public sector and got 6 weeks at 90%, 8 weeks at 50%, and then statutory until it run out at 9 months. Public sector isn't as gilt edged as the Tory boys in power would have you believe. We have a large LloydsTSB office in our town (you know those banked the public bailed out at great expense) and they get waaay better maternity and bigger employers pension contributions than the local authority!

thebellsofsaintclements · 29/03/2011 10:44

It's not bad, but many many ppl incl myself (local govt) get 26 months on full pay plus 3 months statutory. I second the 'smug smile at annoying colleague' strategy, it's soooo none of her business!

RamblingRosa · 29/03/2011 10:48

It is a good deal.

I got 6 months full pay followed by 3 months SMP, then 3 months nothing.

I know of companies that pay 1 year full pay which I think is just brilliant.

EdwardorEricCantDecide · 29/03/2011 10:48

I work for big British energy company I'll get 26 weeks at full pay followed by 13 weeks SMP
I have always known that this is probably the best mat package available and is the sole reason I've stuck with my crap job for 6 yrs. I'll be looking for a change 1year after DC2 is born Grin

RamblingRosa · 29/03/2011 10:48

PS. I totally agree it's not your colleague's business. I can't imagine why someone would try to make you feel bad about your mat leave pay.

EdwardorEricCantDecide · 29/03/2011 10:53

I think colleague is jealous that u won't have to be at work and she will!

emskaboo · 29/03/2011 11:08

Gosh stclements, who do you work for?!

QuintessentialShadows · 29/03/2011 11:12

..... whereas in Norway you have a choice of either
a) 10 months on 100% of your salary or
b) 12 months on 80% of your salary....

But in uk terms, yes I suppose it is a good deal. Sad

Lulabel27 · 29/03/2011 11:13

Who gets one year on full pay? I've not heard of that. I think I'm doing well - 6 months full pay, 3 months smp, 3 months nothing. But I got a payrise one month into my mat leave which was effective immediately plus a bonus so I'm very happy with my company which is why I'll be returning next year...

ENormaSnob · 29/03/2011 11:14

It's okay. There are better packages and worse packages.

Happyas, public sector do not get 6 months full pay. Nowhere near.

BlingLoving · 29/03/2011 11:21

some people are just resentful. Someone in my office suggested the other day that if you want to work part time, get pregnant like bling. As I'm currently still pulling in 50 hour weeks and I'm nearly 32 weeks, I took that pretty badly....

CheeseEnforcementAgency · 29/03/2011 11:42

I think the army get a year? Though a difficult job to combine with motherhood/pregnancy I expect!

sparkle12mar08 · 29/03/2011 11:47

Everyone is entitled to 12 months leave Cheese, nine months statutory and 13 weeks unpaid.

The OP's package is a pretty good one, yes. I was exceptionally lucky and got 6 months full, 13 weeks, statutory and 13 weeks unpaid, public sector central government.

RamblingRosa · 29/03/2011 11:51

It was a rail company that gave a year's mat leave on full pay.

I know of a trade union that does too.

And I think that Ford is well known for a generous maternity scheme (not sure exactly how much it is though).

A strong theme is that they're all companies with majority male employees so probably feel they can afford to offer better mat pay as it's relatively few staff who need it.

BlingLoving · 29/03/2011 11:58

Actually Rambling, I think you'll find it's one of the ways they aim to attract women. My company has generous mat leave and it's because they a) want women to join them and b) they want to keep those women after they've joined as they invest a lot of time and money and effort in training us etc.

The thinking is that good package gets women in the door. Then, if you have the package and make it relatively easy for them to take maternity leave, they're more likely to come back afterwards. If you've been surviving on SMP for the entire year, you might think, "well, I managed okay so why bother going back to work" but if you've been paid properly and continue to enjoy the salary and benefits after a baby, you're more likely to think, "gosh, I really don't want to give up that financial benefit so I'll go back to work."

That's the thinking anyway. As I understand it, HR people are still doing lots of research over what package is the most likely to lead to women returning to work.

working9while5 · 29/03/2011 12:00

I am NHS
8 weeks full pay
18 weeks half pay
SMP to 9 months
Option of 3 months unpaid

The best packages I came across were in the private sector - met several people on 6, 9 or 12 months full pay while on maternity - 12 months full pay was a marketing company, can't remember the others.

I think my package was pretty decent but it doesn't compare as favourably as those in the private sector. Private sector friends who are made redundant also have fantastic packages - we have a month for every year working which again is, when compared with others, quite decent but ^not quite a £120K package with three months additional paid gardening leave!

RamblingRosa · 29/03/2011 12:15

I agree Bling. Sorry, I was being a bit cynical. I think you're right but I also think it's easier to be generous when there are fewer people likely to take up the offer IYSWIM.