To ask who signed the extension of mat leave and why?

[Tjsmumma]

Self explanatory really..

If you signed it why? Why do you feel you and entitled to more time paid? Do you think being in lockdown is more of a right to more time of PAID than people who have babies who are delivered early or need NICU stays?

I am myself on maternity with a 19 week old and i still do not think its fair to say 'i need more time off paid because i wasnt able to go to a mother and baby group' theres plenty of time to go after.

I can sort of understand if you are due to go back and cant find child care but surely you can be furloughed or claim SSP/Benefits during this time like the rest of the country?

[TotorosFurryBehind]

I would have considered signing it if had been for extra unpaid leave. In general, I support us moving to a model like in other countries where women can take up to 2 years maternity leave.

[TotorosFurryBehind]

I felt conflicted, as a feminist I feel like I need to always be supportive of other women. And in the end, that's why I didn't sign it. Because maternity leave is so, so important to allow mothers to look after their babies...and the lockdown didn't stop that. I felt uneasy that some of the people petitioning talked about mat leave like a sabbatical or paid holiday, which I felt undermined that it is bloody hard work looking after a baby and that actually many women find maternity leave incredibly hard.

[avacadooo]

I've tried and my employer is dodgy, to the point I'm considering finding another job because I had to take the mat pay from the government as they refused to pay it.

I don't agree with every woman getting it but when I can't sign on for any help because of my husbands normal earnings (he's furloughed now so it's pretty tight paying city center rent and bills) I do think there needs to be something even if it's like you agree to pay it off in your next tax year.

And only if you're in a certain position like a child on the health list or you've slipped through a crack and can't get back to work.

I applied for it 6 weeks ago but no idea what's going on now.

[ineedanotherholiday]

Think it's ridiculous. Am on mat leave currently, not as I envisaged but people are losing their jobs all over the place so I'm grateful to have something to go back to.

Who do they think will pick up the tab at the end if women started taking paid mat leave?! We're already in a bad position and there are much bigger things at stake.

[Rebelwithallthecause]

I signed it for my friends who asked me to

[shitsgettingcrazy]

@avacadooo thats an employer problem and I would argue you are being disproportionately impacted.

Unless you were expected to maintain your disclosure check through maternity, i would imagine your employer would need to prioritise yours.

I dont, however, think the answer to that is to pay for all women on mat leave to have en extra 3 months paid. I do bekieve, since you are available to work and can not, through no fault of your own, there should be something available to you. Just not mat leave.

[Tjsmumma]

@avacadooo can i ask why you aren't entitled to anything? Surely you still have rights i.e same treatment as the rest of your company? See i totally agree witg people like you signing it as you are in hardship (but on same token a lot of us ar) have you asked about the 4 weeks parental leabs you are entitled to use to cover this? Also have you looked into doing a DBS via update service? Thats much quicker! And can take other places bar one work place

[Easilyanxious]

Could people just not take parental leave unpaid if no childcare as I thought anyone could take this ??
But I could be wrong as not sure how it works but unfair to
Expect companies / government to pay for extra may leave in this current time

[ivfbabymomma1]

Currently on maternity! Enjoying every second bonding with my baby peacefully. Do not agree with petition.

[avacadooo]

I should point out I work in health care and the influx of staff needed in health care has put a massive back log of disclosure checks meaning nobody is getting them quickly and then they're taking ages to be posted.
Nobody's fault because everyone in that department and post office are dealing with so much extra work but it's a bit worrying when staff are needed and we can't return.

Sorry to add that just before anyone thought I was blaming my whole unable to work on covid.
But an extra few weeks of maternity would have helped massively with my bills because I never expected any of this to happen on my return to work.

[avacadooo]

I didn't sign it because it won't change anything but I agree with it to an extent.
I'm meant to be going back to work and because of covid there's been a massive fuck up and I have to wait another month before going back meaning I'm not entitled to any money from my employer or anything so if I could extend my mat leave a few weeks I could at least afford my bills.
That is the only way I see it being appropriate because missed baby groups isn't an excuse it's shit yes that we can't do them but in this case where mothers cannot return to work and do not meet requirements for universal credits I think it would be helpful.

[unsure111]

I family member asked me to share this. She doesn't work and it's not her first baby. Yet she thinks this is a excellent idea because "family can't bond with the baby and you can't go to groups" I totally disagree. It's ridiculous. As long as the mum and dad are able to be with the baby then unfortunately everyone else can wait to see it. So there is no need for extra time off work because of it.

I feel like everyone wants or thinks they are owed some kind of compensation from this pandemic and it always seems to involve getting extra money for no reasonable reason.

[Fedhimtotigers]

@Tjsmumma That's not how these work.
My answers would still be counted as someone who wishes to agree with the extension.
I do not. Therefore I can not complete the questionnaire.

[Tjsmumma]

@Fedhimtotigers i mentioned it in my comment section! Just put whatever you feel is more necessary and then make a pount of it in comments!

@SmoothAvocado i just think a lot of people have signed it for the complete wrong reasons, nkt even for baby groups which is rather frustrating!

[CloudyVanilla]

If you flat out don't want to to be extended then why did you sign the petition??

[SmoothAvocado]

I think it's just women using this as an excuse just to get more time off - the baby groups thing is a ridiculous excuse. I bet a lot of the women who signed it wouldn't have been fussed about going to baby groups if covid had never happened.

[Fedhimtotigers]

@Tjsmumma

I was filling it in but can't get passed this.

I can't answer this question because I flat out do not want it to be extended.

[Saladaysior]

I absolutely disagree with this petition and have been quite surprised at one or two colleagues / friends who’ve linked to it on their social media.

There is absolutely no justification for spending public funds on this when there are so many more deserving causes. Babies don’t need baby groups- they need food, stimulation, being talked to and to be loved- all of which can happen at home. One colleagues who posted about it in support suggested that the baby groups are about ‘saving the mum’s sanity’ rather than anything else. Well- it’s true that being at home with a young child can feel isolating and repetitive at times. But why on Earth would anyone need 3 months More paid ML for that reason? You can go back to work at this point- thereby getting the social and mental stimulation you may have been missing . Anyone currently on ML who has signed this petition is one of the lucky ones... they have a job to go back to. Many people won’t when we’re though the pandemic. To say they want 3 months paid leave to be able to go to baby groups or meet mummy friends for coffee when they have a perfectly reasonable alternative - going back to work- to gain time with other adults. It’s just unbelievably grabby.

And for anyone really struggling on ML right now, maybe with PND, there are (quite rightly) support networks now, obviously via phone/ Skype etc unless we’re talking serious emergency situations where a mother can be seen in person. For anyone in that situation (which is truly horrid for them) then frankly tacking on 3 months more paid leave is going to make sod all difference because they need specialised support now.

But this isn’t the group this petition is referring to. This is about a small minority of mothers who are just entitled enough to think that the things they are missing out on are so much more important than all the things we’re all missing out on

[Tjsmumma]

Definitely, being a mum is a worrying time anyway. Ive spent countless hours googling 'is this normal' or 'what should i be doing'. BF is a tough time anyway let alone juggling it and work, im sure its the combination of the two playing on it more and no one is saying that's a bad thing! I just think a lot of people read the caption of the petition not the real petition itself.

I have no doubt that it will 🥰 Babies need that time to be sad to know who will comfort them in the absence of you, its awful hearing them sad but like you say after a week or two they are usually waving you off to go play! Best of luck with everything, really hope its all smooth for you and your DF x

[bumptobean]

Thanks @Tjsmumma that has made me smile. I’ve been thinking I wonder if the panic and worry in all of this is because like you say, it is a worrying time to BF and returning to work. Added on top of all stresses that are currently going on due to covid, you can’t help but put all stresses together. I think that might be in my case anyway. I hope things go brilliantly for the both of us, I’m positive no matter what, after a week or two nursery will be brilliant.

[bumptobean]

@LaurieMarlow I suppose that’s fair enough. Personally I thought the petition wasn’t asking for fully paid leave so we can go to baby groups. I would love SMP but don’t think it would happen, I think unpaid extension may be likely and I’d be quite happy with that. To be honest I don’t know anymore after reading all of this. I suppose perhaps it will show the scroungers to the genuine then. I think the way the petition was worded wasn’t very helpful to the cause. We aren’t all scroungers wanting money for nothing. Like I said, I work hard, never claimed a penny and scrounging would be so much easier/cost effective than being a working mother and paying nursery fees 8 hours a day 5 days a week.

[Tjsmumma]

@bumptobean its a worrying time BF and returning to work, i know im anxious about it and its still a while away yet (i was due back next month myself but hopefully going to extend to my full 9 months paid) but like my PP and others said just mske sure yoi feed right before and after (and pump in the mean time to keep up supply and demand otherwise it can affect milk snd leave you uncomfortable!) hopefully little one will eat something else in that time (depending on how long you are leaving them) or if really necessary they will take it once they are really wanting! I think im onlt not so anxious because ive worked wity babies 5 years and know no matter what they cry, more settling in visits doesmt really make any odds other than they think you stay and play all the time. I hope you figure something out x

[crispysausagerolls]

@LaurieMarlow

Thank you for articulating that so well!

[Servers]

@bumptobean haha no, but honestly a lot find that they adjust quickly, and drink a lot more in the evenings after a day apart (I loved that to be honest), and in the morning.

[LaurieMarlow]

Your view that people who signed the petition are all scroungers is a joke and says a lot more about you, you really have no clue.

People are going to judge those who demanded more paid leave to go to baby groups when ...

Unemployment rates are about to skyrocket leaving many unable to feed their families.

Extra paid leave has never been granted to mothers of babies born prematurely, despite their very difficult maternity experience.

The underfunded NHS has far more than it can cope with, including nurses in particular risking their lives daily without appropriate pay.

In terms of the country’s priorities there are millions who need that financial support more urgently. It’s immensely grabby to try to prioritise yourself higher than the above.