Do you work in Banking?

[Gryffindor]

If so, would you mind posting details of your Bank's maternity pay/leave policy please? I'm currently looking to leave my Bank (one of the big players) and although we're not planning DC immediately we will be in a couple of years.

Also, my current bank is very flexible and we all work from home on a regular basis, are there any other banks that offer this?

Unfortunately these questions don't go down well with recruiters!

I work in a back office/legal/risk type function at a reasonably senior level.

Thank you!

DH's employer is statutory minimum. But his last employer (a certain German bank beginning with D, the smaller one) used to give statutory and then double pay for the first three months back...

Work in a big german bank beginning with D...B.... we get 6 months full pay 3 months stat pay and 3 months no pay. Return on 12mths back to a role at same pay. Very good on paper. Not known anyone to return after 12 months and enjoy what they're doing and have left within a year to go somewhere else...

Typically in the finance sector it is 12 weeks full pay and statutory thereafter. Again, typically, the finance sector is more generous in their benefits provisions than others but there can be variations.

Regarding flexible working, it is slowly getting more common but it can vary hugely even within organisations depending on managerial attitudes.

Work for one of the big 4 UK banks. In my division (not sure about others) we get 6 months full then 3 months statutory. We then get an additional 2 weeks paid holiday in the first year back to allow for settling into nursery etc.

AImost made me want to go for a third.

Oh and we are allowed to WFH within reason. One day a week wouldn't raise any eyebrows. Requesting full time WFH would.

I work in the middle office for a big American bank. Get 6 months full pay, 3 statutory and 3 unpaid. Return to work in the same or similar role with same pay.

chances of getting flexible hours or WFH? Slim to none. (voice of bitter experience)

I work for one of the big 4. We get 10wks full pay, 16wks half pay then stat pay for the rest of the year. I did save 6 months salary so that while I was off we could continue with a similar lifestyle, so didn't find it too hard to manage. But if we were to have a 2nd child I'd never be able to save that much again!

Work for a small private European bank and get 10 weeks full, 10 weeks half and then statutory.

Big American company. 18 weeks. Half full pay, half half pay plus statutory. Have to be there for 2 full years to qualify. Return to same or similar job initially on reduced hours (first 3months)

Thank you so much! Honestly though, what a minefield. Banks that you think would be similar can be so different and you hardly ever know until you've signed the contract and moved.

My current bank (one of the big 4 UK) is reasonably generous in terms of money, but the big perk is flexible working. Some people do 2/3 days WFH and lots of people are on compressed hours. Not so much in senior management, but then most of the senior managers are men!

I'm not in a bank but within the financial sector. Current company (brokers) pay just stat. Previous company paid 10 wks full pay, and then 12 wks at 90%, which rose to 12 wks full and 19 wks 90% if you had worked there longer than 5 years.

One thing to be careful of: They are only legally obliged to give you your same job back if you return within 6 mths. Between 6-12 months it is the same job or equivalent. I got caught on this where they basically gave my job to someone else while I was on Mat leave and I couldn;t fight it as they had given me an equivalent in name although in reality it was less important/

Large European Bank
More than 1 year service
6 months full pay then 3 months statutory
Holiday accrues during ML

Growing acceptance of WFH

Spanish bank with UK branches. Work in branch.
13 weeks full or 90% (can't remember and should know) followed by 26 weeks stat mat pay followed by 13 weeks no pay.

Stokey, that's shit.

A lot of pg women at my bank apply for a new job internally either just before going on mat leave, or while they are off. It means they can come back afresh in to a new role without the risk of their job being given away. It does mean that the new department has to wait a while for their new starter, but we typically give 3 months notice of any move anyway, and most women only take 6 months mat leave max. Seems to work for some women.