Is statutory maternity pay the norm for most employers?

[FelicisWolf]

I would be really interested to hear other people's experiences of what their employers offer for maternity pay. I've only been at my job for 6 months and will be ttc soon after the limit for maternity coverage starts (2 years) as I can't really wait much longer. My boss has made it clear that they will only pay statutory maternity pay, he was shocked to learn (after another employee in a different branch went on maternity) that this covers 9 months worth (he thought it was only 4) even though payments are reduced over that time. What cover did you have? Is statutory the norm or do most employers offer more?

Currently on mat leave six weeks ninety percent, 16 weeks at fifty percent salary plus SMP then 18. weeks at SMP when I go back to work I get four weeks salary as a return to work bonus for going back. My employer has also let me roll over most of this year's annual leave and I'll accrue while I'm on mat leave (I get 33days a year) so I'll take six weeks leave after my nine months mat leave so I go back onto full pay six weeks before I actually go back at ten and a half months, I also get ten KIT days they pay on top of SMP I know some employers deduct. I don't have a flashy corporate job, I was public sector and then we were privatised, our Ts&C's are actually better now. The above applies to all pay grades right down to entry level admin, it's not an perk of my role status.

If you've been there six months, you are more than eligible for SMP now. If your company doesn't offer enhanced packages then there's no advantage to waiting in terms of what you'll get.

If your employer is in the UK its only 26 weeks you need to work to qualfiy for SMP (but if the company offers enchanced martinty pay they CAN stipulate the amount of time you have worked for and then also have you must return to work for a set number of months or have to pay the extra back)

For example company offers everyone SMP if they meet the legal requirements then have a tiered system aka if you worked for 2 years with company you get X amount enhanced and then if you have worked 5 years you get X + Y etc.

If you are not in the UK your boss may be right as each country has different rules.

But from my preference most companies only offer Statutory as well with most jobs only pay the minimum wage (minimum wages does makes up the majority of jobs in this country i think the numbers were 55% of all jobs were just minimum wage as this is the legal minimum they have to pay).

And in a employers market why pay more when you can pay the legal minimum ? (completely shit but that's capitalism for you).

8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay plus SMP, then remaining 13 weeks SMP only - NHS. I took a full year off and got all my pay adddd up and split over 12 months so I had no unpaid time. I then took all the annual leave I’d accrued whilst on maternity and tagged it on to the end.