To ask if you would take this job.

[beardedlobster]

I posted on here a few days ago as I had a job interview and was looking for ways of overcoming my nerves. Your advice must have worked as I have been offered the job!

The role is basically my dream job, is quite a big step up from what I am doing now and I was so happy when I found out I had got it. However having received the contacts and paperwork about the role and the company I have found out they do not pay maternity pay. Just statutory.

I know I want to start trying for a baby in a year or two so this is relevant. Where I am now pays 8 weeks full pay and then 12 weeks half pay before statutory which is a massive difference.

I can’t believe I am even thinking of turning the job down but it feels like I have no choice.

Has anyone had any experience of this? Am I being silly to turn down my dream job?
I’m so torn. Thanks

Do it for a year and then look for another job because you'll have gained a different skill set. So you'll be in a better position to get a job ith similar or better salary and experience but with better maternity benefits. Think of this as a sideways move, a stepping stone to a more senior position than just your dream job.

I wouldn't turn down your dream job on that basis. Will your new job allow you to save more? If so then you can start putting money away to cover maternity.

A lot of companies maternity pay isn't great these Saha.

Could you start saving to make up the difference between the statutory pay and your regular pay for the maternity period? You'd potentially have 2 years + 9 months to do it.

I would, because "wanting" to try for a baby in 1-2 years is quite different from having a baby in 1-2 years. You don't know how things will work out and, in any case, once you have gained experience in this job, you'll have set yourself up much better to move elsewhere in the future. There's no reason to turn down this job at the moment.

Well done.
Go for it. A lot can happen in a year.
You'll be fine.

Figure out what the total difference would be and work out if it's feasible to save that up (presumably you're getting a pay rise?). Having said that, a lot can happen in "a year or two", it's not like you want to start trying tomorrow. I took a job which only offered statutory maternity pay and just before I got pregnant they introduced enhanced pay!

If it's a big step up from what you're doing now then there should be a pay rise to match? If not, ask for one. Explain you're really interested and would love to take the job but you're looking for [x amount] or you think [x amount] is appropriate given the level of responsibility. They can only say no, and if they say yes, that might offset the crap maternity pay.

As pp have said, find out whether the difference is ‘saveable’
Another concern is that it doesn’t exactly scream, ‘we’re a forward thinking, employee valuing company’

OP have you checked that this policy applies no matter how long you've been employed there? Lots of places don't do mat pay if you go off within e.g. One year of starting the job but once you've been there that long you're entitled to enhanced mat pay.
Sorry if this is obviously not their policy but worth checking!
I'd def still go for it.

Were you sent the contract by someone in HR? Worth having a chat with them and asking about it - many companies are a bit behind on maternity pay but are actively looking at it as it’s a hot topic (primarily due to gender pay gap reporting) so they may have something in the works.

As another poster suggested it’s also worth negotiating on basic salary (or bonus if that’s an element) - work it out after tax and see how much more you’d need to be able to save.

Also do check out your other half’s parental leave policy - if he has shared parental leave then you could factor that in and be able to share the load.

Yep, I work in HR!

If they only offer statutory maternity pay I would say they are not a family friendly business. This alone would put me off.

Do they offer or encourage flexible working? This would be another deal breaker for me

Don’t think you’ll have a baby in a set time frame. I stared ttc at 27. Thought I’d be a mum at 28. I was 33 before my first was born. Take the job.

Take the job! Maternity pay may change you never know! Also these days the man can do part of the maternity leave so his pay may be relevant too

Don't turn down your dream job over this

Don’t take It with a view to changing jobs again ina year if you want to start trying for a baby in a year or two. Many places have a minimum length of service for enhanced maternity pay, often a couple of years.

I was surprised to find quite a few companies my friends work for only pay statutory too. It’s far more common than I thought and they aren’t small companies so I wouldn’t let it stop you accepting the role.

Take the job!

I work in the public sector and have stayed much, MUCH longer than is good for me or my career because of the mat leave. It look me loads longer to have a baby than anticipated because of relationship disasters throughout my 30s. While I've now benefited from the leave, I look back at all that time I spent waiting for it with huge regret. It goes really quickly and there was probably another way to pay for it, if I'd been better at saving.

Don't give up your dream job for something that might happen in three years time.

No chance to negotiate a deal with the company in question regarding maternity pay, just for you?

My employer only pays SMP, it's pretty standard in my sector (law, private practice). However they are family friendly, flexible working, never a problem to work from home or have an early finish for things like parents evening or ill DC. I saved for maternity leave, it took about a year to get pregnant and then pregnancy itself. I'd it's your dream job then definitely take it!

Take it! Your career is for decades, a baby's just temporary. Even if you are pregnant this time next year, maternity leave isn't the be all and end all. I needed 100% of my pay because I'm a single mum so I only took 8-12 weeks off each time. It was a bit stressful but not as bad as either financial worries or being unhappy at work.

I stayed in my job for the enhanced pay.. didn't apply for other local jobs.
It then took 3 years of ttc, ivf before we had twins! So I didn't even take the enhanced pay as it isn't worth going back to work to pay 2x childcare. In hindsight I would have applied for some of those jobs..

Two months full and three months half isn't the best mat leave pay anyway. I wouldn't stay just for that, as pp said plan to save it from any pay rise.

But if you want to go part time/flexible consider whether this is part of their culture or not, as that is a more long term issue. If it isn't I'd still take the job but I'd know I'd probably need to look again in a few years.

Thank you all very much for your very sensible advice!!
They are family friendly in terms of flexible working and childcare vouchers etc... as well as offering a lot of other financial benefits and incentives. Hence why I was quite shocked about the maternity policy.
It will be around a 10K payrise so there is definitely scope for being able to save to help with maternity leave so that is really good advice.
Plus people are right this job move will really help my career and set up for the future!
Thank you all for making me see sense!

Oh I'm so glad! I thought of you this morning and wondered what you'd decided to do.

That's a massive pay rise so you could definitely save a to give yourself a cushion for the future

So basically a 20k increase before you are even planning on ttc. You'd be silly to turn it down.