To ask what your maternity package was/is?

[JustStirItUna]

I work for a fairly large firm (250+ people) and it's very 'male' heavy with a lot of engineers. One of the directives for this year is for the company to employee more women in engineering roles.

This is great, but it bothers me that the maternity package is shite (6 weeks at 90% then straight onto SMP). We have a forum where we can ask questions anonymously, but as we're so short of women (especially ones of child bearing age) it might be obvious that this question has come from me or someone in my (female heavy) dept.

So can I ask what your package was/is? And whether I should raise this as a concern for a company actively trying to recruit young (graduate) female engineers?

Large male dominated company, 36,000 staff. 6 months full pay, 3 months statutory and 3 months at zero. Also, we weren't required to pay any of it back if we didn't return to work - which I didn't.

I am an engineer and worked for a consultancy for my first child. I got full pay but in Ireland and at the time that was 5 months and they got my statutory money. I think Engineering companies are the least affected by maternity so it should not be a massive issue doing a good maternity package. I would ask.

large international investment bank, 6 months full pay, 3 months SMP, the rest unpaid. Works out at half pay(ish) when off for a full year, which given no childcare costs is actually pretty amazing!

Mine was the same as yours. 30 employees. I think it's quite common for the private sector. I don't think many private sector companies would think there was anything wrong with doing that... they're doing the least they have to within the law.

I am due to go off very soon for mine and we get 28 weeks at full pay, 11 weeks at SMP and 13 weeks unpaid. I am taking 38 weeks and tacking holiday onto the start & end.

I have to pay back the extra if I don't return for at least a month.

6 months full pay, 3 months stat maternity pay and 3 months unpaid.

I only took 9 months off for each, couldn't afford the 3 months no pay

Fairly big charity .

6 weeks 90% followed by 30 weeks at 50% plus SMP followed by 13 weeks SMP only .

Two years service required to qualify .

Wow I am surprised. I work a very crappy minimum wage part time job and get 12 weeks full pay and then SMP for 27 weeks. We can have a year off in total. I didn't think companies would be so varied.

6 months full pay, 3 months SMP, 3 months unpaid (which is why I didn't take that bit of my leave...) Public sector in my case. But good friend works for a large multinational (chemical industry) and they get a year on full pay, so not just public sector that can be good.

1st DC - large multinational, over 50% female - 3 months full pay, then 3 months 50%, then 3 months statutory - no need to pay back if you didn't return (I didn't).
2nd DC - small non-profit, 80% female - stat minumum (6 weeks 90% then 39 weeks SMP, then nothing). I did return!

HSBC. We got (iirc) 12 weeks full and 26 SMP

Same as yours, 6 weeks at 90% of my wage then just SMP afterwards. It's crap but better than nothing.

Large global accounting firm. 6 weeks 90%, 12 weeks 50% then SMP.

Hoping to take the year then add on my holidays to avoid working in 2015!

6 weeks at 90% then SMP - it's the statutory minimum. The firm I work for isn't very big, and I'm only the second person who ever went off on mat leave.

That said, I was being paid to sit at home and cuddle my baby, so not going to complain :)

13 weeks full pay, 26 weeks SMP then 13 weeks nothing but you can then add on 4 weeks parental leave at 65% of salary.

So with the full year, holidays, bank holidays and parental leave you can be off for some like 14 months ish and only receive no pay for 13 weeks so it's pretty good

Large financial services organisation:

6 weeks at 90% (which actually works out better than 100% salary if you've had a bonus during your calculation period), 10 weeks at 100% salary and then onto SMP.

It's quite good in my view. I know someone who works for a major multinational and gets nine months full pay! But I wouldn't want to work for them....

Another multinational gives you nine months full pay if you've been there for four years. Otherwise it's statutory. I know someone who was 10 weeks short of the deadline when she got pregnant. Oops.

OP, you really need to look at your industry - if you google maternity pay and the name of your industry you should be able to get some info. Have to say though, most employers, especially small ones, do just stick with the statutory requirements.

If you've been there over a year by the time you were 25 weeks pregnant (yeah I know odd way to put it) then you get 4 months full pay followed by 5 months at SMP. I work for a university. Men get 2 weeks full pay for their paternity leave.

Huge national media firm with thousands of employees - six weeks at 90%, then SMP.

It's shit, but the norm in most private sector firms, from my experience and that of friends.

SMP only, small law firm.

6 weeks 90% the SMP until 9 months.

A friend who is expecting told me her mat pay is 28 weeks full pay then SMP. I am so . It is a national government funded instition so i was expecting a bit more than I get but not £££ more.

Large blue chip retailer.

6 weeks at 90% then SMP.

Nhs: 8 weeks full pay, 16 weeks half pay, then SMP.

Fairly large charity, we get 6 weeks full pay and 33 weeks half pay. Last 3 months unpaid. I wasn't sure how this compared but seeing this thread has made me realise it's pretty good!

I worked for a huge international company and it was 12 weeks at 100% then the rest was SMP at the usual rates. Last 3 months unpaid.

I work for a university, you're entitled to 18 weeks at full pay and then SMT. I think the paternity leave entitlement has recently increased to 4 weeks as well. I worked it out that if I took the maximum amount of time off, it would effectively work out as 50% of my annual salary.