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?

Happy to see a thread on this as lots of requests from friends and acquaintances to sign the petition. Most have babies under 10weeks and have been non-stop complaining about their maternity leave being "robbed" from them as a result of lockdown and how they haven't enjoyed their time so deserve more. I had my DC's a few years ago and quite honestly didn't enjoy maternity leave a whole lot then - it's never going to be this fantastic holiday and that's actually not what the leave is designed to provide! I find it hugely grabby and incredibly selfish given most of the UK are sat worried if they'll lose their jobs or their businesses are close to bankruptcy!

NerdImmunity I think the reality is that maternity leave isn't always sunshine and baby groups and coffee trips with fellow mums. Maternity leave is hard for a lot of mums, and it's widely known that PND is rife in women these days. My impression is that a lot of women are blaming lockdown for these feelings and believe it would be significantly different if things were as normal. I have noticed mostly FTMs voicing their feelings of deprivation and victims of theft, and I wonder if that's because STMs and beyond know that the development of baby's won't be affected by a 3 month lockdown, and the proposed 3 month extension won't make any substantial difference to baby nor mum in the grand scheme of things. Totally generalising here, I know. As I say, just the impression I get from reading the Facebook replies.

It’s extremely entitled and as a woman, extremely embarrassing.

I've not signed it, didn't even know it existed. I'm on maternity leave though and would like to extend that if it was possible - my reason being that my eldest son is due to start school in August when I go back to work but it's very unlikely he'll go full time now. I cannot get a nursery place just now for the baby and the extra free nursery hours for my other son are now looking unlikely.

I need to sort out my childcare situation but it's impossible just now and extra time to sort this would be really helpful. Paid or unpaid.

Nothing to do with baby groups, which are a load of shit.

I need to sort out my childcare situation but it's impossible just now and extra time to sort this would be really helpful. Paid or unpaid.

But that's the situation for parents up and down the country.

Some nursery's won't be open. Or open to smaller amounts or will have closed completely.

And this is assuming that schools are open.

If leave is extended for 3 months on the basis of childcare is difficult. Then that 3 months, to sort something should be given to all parents. Not just those with young babies.

The lack of childcare is impacting all parents.

Just an add to my initial post I dont disagree with people struggling to find child care nor struggling to find work after covid.

More so people who feel robbed of mat leave, can pay bills, have a job etc etc and just want the time off to spend with baby as they have missed 'crucial swimming lessons or baby groups' that is what the petition states NOT about support for mothers who need it.

I always find things like this somewhat amusing, as - as a childless woman - I'm always told that maternity leave isn't a holiday from work, it's really hard, it's lonely, it's boring, it's not just endless groups and coffee mornings etc. etc. Then you get petitions asking for the holiday time from work to be extended for more groups and coffee mornings...

Mental health needs to be tackled outside of this. Plenty of people - myself included - have taken an absolute beating mentally from all of this. The answer isn't just to give some people some paid time off on the basis that they've had a baby.

Shits I completely agree with you. I think all parents (not just new ones, I'm not a new parent myself) should be taken into consideration because we are all going to struggle to work with no childcare or school.

I was just talking shout my own personal circumstances because, well they are the ones I know best!

mistermagpie I just don't see the connection to maternity leave.

I think those with any caring responsibilities may need more leeway. Buy employers simply can't survive with a large amount of staff taking extra 3 months to sort the issue.

It needs to be dealt with at an employer level, not an extension of mat leave.

Needing time to sort childcare or another care, i get. Its the connection to Mat leave I don't get.

It’s fucking stupid. You have a maternity leave - you are at home with your baby. That’s what maternity leave is ffs. No, you don’t need an extension so you can go out for coffee with your friends and go to stupid baby classes.

Not me personally but someone asked this on Facebook and a woman replied saying she had signed it because she maternity leave finishes at the end of this month and her business is closed so she’s worried she won’t get furlough etc and isn’t sure how she will afford things etc.. I have no idea how any of that works because I’ve never looked into it but it’s the only reason I’ve ever seen that I could try and understand.

I’m currently on mat leave and honestly think it’s ridiculous and don’t think I need any extra time off paid or unpaid.

@Ilovecats23 This is pretty much me.
I've had to cut my mat leave short due to the virus and finances.
However my department is furloughed.
So I go 'back' next week. But I will just be automatically furloughed.

Ilovecats23 but if she spent the time, she took to reading, signing and then posting a comment to call her employer or look online, she would see she would go straight onto furlough.

Essentially her Mat leave is extended. But at 80% pay.

If fact I wonder if this is why so many women with young babies, want this.

Maybe it's simply jealousy, that lots of women who are due back now, will go straight to furlough. So be at home, longer but with more money than mat leave.

They may think that by the time they go back, that won't happen for them

Maternity leave is for coping with a new baby, establishing routines and recovering from birth. C19 doesn’t make any difference to their ability to look after their babies, therefore I can’t see what they are going on about.

Look at the comments on the post.
People have actually said it's just not Faaaiiir that their colleagues are getting paid time off during their maternity leave.

Absolutely pathetic that these people are parents.

It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen!

There’s a whole other thread on this somewhere though where people are discussing how much they agree with this petition!

My main concern is that when I go back (if the situation still stands obviously) I will have to WFH, because that is the arrangement for staff in my department, but with three children at home with me. No furlough option at my work. It will be literally impossible. So an extension of mat leave might assist here for me personally, but obviously there are loads of other parents in this situation who aren't on mat leave so of course some form of assistance for them would also be necessary.

It's never going to happen anyway so I wouldn't get too worked up about it.

For me it's about the nursery. I go back to work full time in August. Nurseries won't likely be open. Work won't allow me to go back part time. I can't be furloughed as there is a contractor doing my job thus not a redundant role. I can afford to take unpaid leave were already living off savings.

If the government would allow me to take say a further 10 days when nursery's reopen, that I could use to do some reduced hours during a settlement period, and doesn't have To be paid, but mostly protect my employment rights, I'd be really happy.

If you follow the link to the survey it actually asks an awful lot more than just about baby groups.

Fuck no. I find the idea of it offensive actually. Women's groups have fought and fought to get extra leave for parents whose babies have died and only just got it. My dh still only got his 2 weeks paternity when our twins nearly died and spent 5 weeks in hospital so day after day for three weeks, i was sat there entirely alone after a traumatic birth, the whole experience gave me ptsd which I'm still not over over 3 years later. And some women want 3 months paid leave so they can go to baby groups? Fuck that. Be glad your baby is safe, happy and healthy.

I can only think it's first time mums who have signed this. You get maternity leave for the benefit of the baby being able to attach. Not so you have a nice time. Ffs

It's grubby entitled nonsense.

I had 5 wks SMP with my 1st and 3 months with my subsequent 2: some people don't realise how lucky they are to begin with.

Dont get me wrong I'd love a extended maternity leave, specially as I will have to start mine early while pregnant due to having to come off mediation and therefore being unable to work, cutting into my 9 months before the child is even born. Then likewise post birth if I can breastfeed I would have to stop and move onto formula soon as I returned to work again due to having to restart taking mediation. And due to all the issues with mediation I will be a very high risk of PND/PNA. But I'd be happy to have the time unpaid and would in no way expect my employer to pay for this time, as it's a unusual circumstances and is just as much a medical/sick leave as it would be a extended maternity. Honestly I'm dreading it and its caused me to put of ttc due to the issues that will arise with medication and lack of specialist consultants in my area who would be able to over see the process.
Regardless though I dont see myself as being entitled to 12 months of paid maternity leave even with the additional complications.

I wonder if people are bitter as often you are paid less when on maternity, specially the last few months, while they are seeing colleagues on furlough getting paid more, and therefore feel entitled to the same amount of money, or feel hard done by as they could be on furlough or working from home earning more then they are on maternity?

My key worker colleagues would absolutely lynch me if I asked for 3 months extra leave when they’ve been struggling and putting all the hours in that god sends. It’s grabby imo. As previously mentioned baby has had the best start having, in most cases, not one but both parents at home and having a strong bond with them, the most important person in a babies life. Not a bunch of random at a baby class or support group. I get it sucks and it’s not what we all had planned (I’m due back in 4 months) but this year isn’t what anyone had planned is it.