Raging about shared parental pay - has anyone challenged this (vs mat leave policy)

[Soundbathfan]

The nhs mat policy whilst better than many is much crapper than many too
My husband gets better mat leave in his medium sized private tech company than I do.
His company don't have a shared parental pay policy which I am angry about. He has asked about this and has been sent a shared parental leave notification form but this doesn't include anything about pay (which I'm assuming will be stat rate)
Other similar companies to his DO offer comparative mat and parental pay.
Has anyone ever challenged an employer on their offer and lack of comparability to mat policy?
He is the first person ever to have asked about this in his male dominated organisation
Thanks for any advice you have :)

@Sisterpita to be honest I don't know. I took spl in blocks around the school holidays and my husband didn't take any.

@annahay I think you will find a lot of employers mirror occupational mat leave and SPL.

However, some do not and that is perfectly legal.

we get the government pay. And our employer will give you your full pay bonus for 5 weeks, but if two employees work for them then it caps at 7 weeks per birth (ie no consideration for multiple babies).

so mom and dad both take leave - 7 weeks pay.

mom or dad just - 5 weeks.

It makes it better to work for different employers.

but better than nothing.

It's financial services but they are one of the best offerings/a leader in the industry when it comes to parental leave at full pay for 6 months- hence why he doesn't want to leave, even for a promotion elsewhere, as it's so valuable for future baby plans. I guess that's why they offer it!...to keep talent!! Good luck OP. We need to keep challenging workplaces to do better and make the world more equal.

Sorry. Maybe reading this different?

probably different country?

Canada we can choose. It’s up to 16 weeks for the person giving birth. Then your choice if you want to take a 12 or 18 months (less the 16 weeks). You can spilt it between the partners as you like, but it can’t be (as far as I understand) at the same time and it has to be consecutive. Ie, mom takes maternity leave, then parental as much as she likes then dad gets the remainder. Can’t be mom and dad or mom dad mom. CAN be birth parent, dad, then mom. So dad can’t be home to help unless he takes vacation.

then the government pays based on formulas same as unemployment insurance. But the same sum can be paid over 12 or 18 months. So for me I’d be making 8x less than normal per month if I took the 18 months leave. It’s not much but it’s something, and I make a good wage so we can swing it. It would be hard as young parents.

Then very few companies offer top ups, or whatever they are called. My Company Is outrageously male dominated and it’s fantastic they offer it. They offer 5 weeks at 60% normal pay. every new dad I’ve known in the last three years has taken at least the five weeks.

the only hiccup in the company plan is that if both parents work there the second parent only gets two weeks. But oddly it also works for gender equality and getting men to take time, as the men get paid more, so typically still take the five weeks.

and that’s not the men get paid more potatoes to potatoes same job wise (which they do, but to a lesser extent) but the women in the company are mostly in overhead roles, and men tend to be older and further in their career (again, I know this is less typical now, but here it is still very defined). Ie, my manager (we are in a university sciences area) is roughly the age of her husband who works in trades at least three levels below her, and he out earns her by 1/3 ish. I’m ten years younger than my husband, but he’s in trades and leadership so he more than doubles me.

anyway. Reading this I live in the 1950’s but a 1950’s where men take parental leave. Where could we be today if men took parental leave In the 1950’s!!

One would hope that a doctor could use the word mother or woman rather than ‘birthing person’.