New employee getting a better maternity package than everyone else

[Mlos]

I work for a small private bank, we are expanding our in house wealth management so hiring.
I've recently found out the newly appointed team lead has been offered a better maternity package than everyone else as an incentive to join.
Our default maternity package is 39 weeks full pay from a year of service, then 13 weeks statutory pay.
The new employee will be getting 52 weeks full pay and then 26 weeks of 50% pay. As someone who is trying for her first child it's really annoyed me.
I'm not sure why but this new employee is getting a lot of benefits we don't usually see (enhanced pay, flexi hours that we don't usually see including 2 days of finishing at 1 and starting again at 8 for 2 hours).

AIBU to question if this is fair? Can one employee be offered a different maternity package than everyone else?

Negotiate. She obviously did, and got an attractive deal. If you don't think it's fair, then do the same, but be prepared to either A) back down B) look elsewhere if you do.

It’s no different to them being offered a higher salary though. They negotiated a better contract, probably because they came from a much higher salary and were highly desired for the role.

Yes they can. She's obviously negotiated it as part of her salary package and they want her enough to agree to it. You could try and lobby for them to adjust for other staff, but they don't have to.

You're not getting 13 weeks smp after the 39 weeks....that's not how it works. You are only entitled to SMP for 39 weeks
The company could be playing you that much but it won't technically be SMP.

An 18month mat leave package is incredible....they must really want her.

Yes, people can negotiate better packages than the usual offering. I once got a week more holiday than everyone else in a new role, but had to keep schtum about it.

How do you know what her package is? Be mindful of confidentiality.

Back in the day I asked for and got an enhanced package as they were very keen to get me
I don’t think there is anything particularly wrong in that
Why don’t you ask for an enhanced package

You're right it's just that the last 13 weeks are paid at the rate of statutory maternity pay.

Good for her

Are you absolutely sure about that?
And it's not 39 weeks full.pay and 13 weeks no pay?

Given she is new...and your policy only kicks in after year...it would make sense she has negotiated an enhancement....which would make more sense to be 52 weeks mat leave, 26 weeks at full pay and 26 weeks at half pay.

It's easy for the details to get lost in translation and people to misunderstand what has actually been offered.

she’s done some impressive negotiation

and rather than you see it as an opportunity for you to do the same, you whinge

same level as you?

how did you find out?

@FTPM1980

I'm certain, 39 weeks full pay and 13 weeks at the rate of SMP.
And I'm certain she has been offered 52 weeks full pay and 26 weeks 50% pay.

Your maternity package is pretty impressive

I'm not sure why but this new employee is getting a lot of benefits we don't usually see

They want her badly

how do you know this?

No and it's hard to compare by level as the other "head of's" and C-suite roles are all held by men.
The person who had to write up her contract told me.

She knows her value, and has been willing to move jobs in order to negotiate for it. You could do the same.

very unprofessional of them

and you know the benefit packages for everyone?

Wow! They should be reported!

Is it just coincidence all these mat pay threads at the same time then?

how long have you been at the company?

are you senior?

so you and her are exactly same level?

company probably desperate to recruit high calibre given the OP and her HR friend who disclosed this to her

Are you sure the person that told you has it right? Seems bizarre to want someone so much but equally happy for them to be off for 18 months on mat leave. Enhanced package in terms of pay understandable, but the length of time is unheard of (for me anyway!)

Good for her!

Time for you to start looking for somewhere new, and negotiating a similar package for yourself, perhaps?

Thats very unprofessional

That is a huge data and confidentiality breach. Her package should be 100% confidential and I am shocked that someone is willing to risk their job to tell you what’s in it. You need to be very careful who else you tell because you will also be in major trouble if she/anyone in an HR/data compliance role ever finds out that info has been shared.