Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To not ask about maternity pay at interview

58 replies

Browncoo6 · 03/04/2022 19:50

About to have a final interview for a new job. It will be a good salary uplift if I am offered the role (£10k more) but looking at the overall package I’m not sure. In my current role I get 9 months full maternity pay, 3 months half pay. DH and I are looking at starting a family within the next 2 or 3 years and I feel this is a consideration.

I don’t know why maternity package the new company offers and can’t find this info online. DH has suggested I ask at the interview! As unfair as it is, surely there is no way I can do this and stand a chance at the job? Would you or have you ever asked?

OP posts:

RonSwansonsChair · 03/04/2022 20:46

Not sure I got the double Negative right, I voted YANBU to Not ask about maternity pay at interview - Don't Ask! It's unfortunate, but chances are it'll impact the outcome. If you don't get the job, you can't blame the question.
If offered the job ask to see their policies/ employee handbook.

TikTokCat · 03/04/2022 20:46

If you are offered the job it will be in the new contract.

AlohaMolly · 03/04/2022 20:47

@ItsFineImFine

I always make it a point to give a woman my business card and say if she has any questions about our maternity leave policy she is welcome to email me directly and I will keep it confidential. I also tell them that I tell every woman this as a rule so they don’t think I’ve jumped to any conclusions about their circumstances.

Me aside: try glass door; otherwise as above get the offer then ask HR - not your new manager but HR. Also always ask to chat with people in the team and ask them what the work life balance is like - money aside this is important too.

You sound lovely @ItsFineImFine, there should be more people like you in the workplace!

ShadowPuppets · 03/04/2022 20:47

@JudgeRindersMinder

Salary is £10k a year more-save!

£10k more a year x 3 years = £30k saved

So in order to make the move worthwhile OP’s current salary needs to be £40k or less
(6 weeks full pay + 33 weeks SMP = around £9k plus the £30k saved). And that’s only factoring in one maternity leave.

If OP earns more than £40k the new job isn’t worth moving to until after she’s done with kids. I moved from a £40k job with an amazing maternity package to a £50k job with a shit one, 4 years ago. I’m about to go on my second maternity leave and I’ve worked out that, as a result, it’ll be over a year until I’m better off despite the new job!

Lou98 · 03/04/2022 20:52

I would personally wait and see if you get offered the job. If you do I would then ask about maternity policy. Although I've never heard of a company having as good maternity benefits as your current one so I would expect it to be less than your current employer.

If they say it's SMP only - would that make you refuse a job offer? If not and you would take the job anyway, then I wouldn't ask at all until I'd started.
If you wouldn't take the job unless they had a good maternity package then I would ask at offer.

However, if your salary is an extra £10k a year - could you take the job but keep living off the wage you get now and anything extra goes in to savings for maternity? That would help make up the difference and you still wouldn't be losing out on anything as it's what you would be living on if you kept your current job. As you've said you'd be looking to try to conceive in 2/3 years that would be a good amount saved

DuggeeHugPlease · 03/04/2022 20:52

I'd ask as part of a list of questions about benefits package overall rather than specifically maternity leave.

I agree that's a great package and unlikely to be matched but I'm private sector and got 5 months full pay so while not as good it was still generous so it's not a sure thing it will only be SMP.

MurmuratingStarling · 03/04/2022 20:53

I know saying this won't go down well with some on here, but if you DID ask this at the interview stage, I would not expect to get the job. I wouldn't employ a woman who was clearly intending to get pregnant and go on maternity leave shortly after she starts the job.

Yeah, I am fully aware anyone could do just that, (and not say they're going to do it.) But if someone made it clear at interview stage that they intend to try and get pregnant soon, I would not offer them the job. And trust me, despite what some people say on here, MANY people will think, and feel the same.

C152 · 03/04/2022 20:54

I definitely wouldn't ask about maternity policies at interview. DoubleHelix79 had a good suggestion about asking for all their policies but, TBH, depending on what sort of company they are, this may raise red flags with them. I would work out what the ideal maternity pay would be and add that to whatever salary I was negotating.

PatientlyWaiting21 · 03/04/2022 20:57

I would absolutely be asking about it!

SunshineAndFizz · 03/04/2022 20:57

No no no.

Don't ask at the interview! Like it or not some interviewers will see this as a negative and be worried you'll be off having a baby straightaway. Have you looked on Glassdoor?

If you can't find it anywhere, accept the offer and then ask for finer details of contract, like pension, maternity, holidays (don't just ask about maternity specifically).

Totalwasteofpaper · 03/04/2022 20:58

I work in tech that's a phenomenal mat package.
It unlikely that a 10k bump over 2 years would not be worth it if the company only had 3 month full pay for example.

Anywayssss
Ask after the offer.
In the meantime scout linkedin for ex staff of the company in your network and message them and ask

MissBridgetJones · 03/04/2022 21:00

Wait until you get offered the job. Ask that they send the offer in writing accompanied by the Staff Handbook.

This document would cover sick pay policy, dress code, company car policy (if applicable) and would cover maternity/paternity policy.

Original poster

Browncoo6 · 03/04/2022 21:03

It annoyed me just as much that DH didn’t seem to understand which I couldn’t ask! The commute would also be more expensive, chipping away at the pay rise and meaning less to save. If they offered SMP only it doesn’t seem to make sense to leave my current role tbh.

OP posts:

surreygirl1987 · 03/04/2022 21:20

Depends if it is a deal breaker or not. I wouldn't ask. I'm in teaching and I KNOW that plenty of heads will mentally cross you off their list for asking that question (completely wrongly of course, but impossible to prove!). The only thing you could do is ask to see the staff handbook / staff policies/ whatever you have in your career before you make your final decision... but I'd only do that, again, if it was a dealbreaker for me.

SpringHasSprungYay · 03/04/2022 21:26

Wait to see if they offer the job then ask to see all the policies. Don't ask at interview.

SpringHasSprungYay · 03/04/2022 21:27

@Browncoo6

No it doesn't.

Regularsizedrudy · 03/04/2022 21:34

Wait until you get the offer. Also where the hell do you work now??? That maternity pay is incredible!

WingingIt101 · 03/04/2022 21:34

I worked for a company that did full year full pay and hung on for it!

Moved after first mat leave and only at point of offer did I enquire about mat pay.
It becomes very difficult for them to then retract it based on already making the offer and you don’t have to accept if it’s not favourable for you. Be prepared that nowhere else will be as good though. It’s very unusual to have such good enhanced terms.

Chasingaftermidnight · 03/04/2022 21:38

No, I think it would be unwise to ask at interview. there a recruiter involved? I once asked a recruiter to find out for me. I don’t know how he did it but he did get the information.

Obviously you know your current package is incredible and you’re unlikely to beat it but I appreciate that you need to know what this employer’s maternity pay is in order to do the maths. I have a friend who stayed in a rubbish job for what looked like a generous maternity package but it wasn’t really a generous maternity package because her salary was appalling - she would have been much better off moving on.

Can you tell us broadly what sector you’re in? People on here might have an idea of the market rate for that sector.

I definitely wouldn’t assume SMP for private sector - I get 20 weeks full pay then the rest at SMP and that’s standard for my industry.

JemimaTiggywinkle · 03/04/2022 21:42

As others said, if you are offered the job, ask for all the policies then (not just mat leave!).

Obviously it’s completely wrong for them to not give you the job because you asked, but if you don’t get the job you’ll always wonder if that was the reason why.

JudgeRindersMinder · 03/04/2022 21:44

@Regularsizedrudy

Wait until you get the offer. Also where the hell do you work now??? That maternity pay is incredible!

When I had my daughter 25 years ago I had 6 months full pay and 9 further months unpaid. It was public sector and the best in the country-they were ahead of their time!

ThinWomansBrain · 03/04/2022 21:51

I work in the charity sector - it's fairly common for the employment policies to be made available at the offer stage - they form part of the contract of employment.
If they aren't, ask to see them - you don't even need to specify the ones around leave.

PoshWatchShitShoes · 03/04/2022 21:51

We offer 6 months full mat pay and 1 month full pat pay. This is in banking. This is great benefit. 9 months is fantastic.

You definitely shouldn't ask at interview. Wait till you have an actual offer.

Luredbyapomegranate · 03/04/2022 21:54

@Tonsiltrouble

I’d wait until the offer and would ask about all policies to compare your package overall. It’s unlikely to match what you currently have though.

This.

Don’t ask at the IV.

alltheteeshirts · 03/04/2022 21:55

I wouldn't expect a company to share copies of their policies and/or staff handbook to a prospective hire.

Asking the question at interview is basically announcing you want to go on mat leave soon.

I think if a company has an amazing parental leave policy, they'll make a song and dance of it. If you can't find anything online, it's probably bog standard - and your current employer seems to offer a really good package.

I think in your shoes, I'd stay and look to change jobs after having a baby.

Flip

1 2 3