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?

i suspect the op will shuffle off now
either way, team new colleague!!!

Fair play to her.
YABU for 1. Knowing her package. I would have you and whoever wrote up the contract fired for GM in an instant.
You should really report that you were told this... unless you asked! Which in that case YABVU

Given you and HR are gossiping about what should be extremely confidential I guess there's a reason she's getting such a good package - you two need to up your game professionally and you might be in with a chance to negotiate something better in due course.

I prioritised negotiating 52 weeks full pay when I switched jobs. Much more beneficial for me than an extra few £1000s in salary.

This happened to me at my previous place. As I speak English I get paid more and someone from administration blabbed about it. I did tell the office manager, who is this person´s boss that a quick course on GDPR was needed and god knows what else she was blabbing about. The boss didn´t say anything, there wasn´t much she could say.

Jesus Christ.

If there's any written trail that she told you, you have to report this as a data breach, otherwise if it comes out later you'll be in trouble as well as her.

Tell your big mouthed mate not to share any more confidential info with you. Do you understand how serious this is? This is gross misconduct level.

Hope it hadn't got any further and you and she haven't told anyone else.

Couldn't be moaning about 9 months full pay and 13 weeks of SMP tbh. I thought 6 months full pay at my last role was great!

i would be worried if i were you op

this new employee sounds like a kick-ass and she won’t put up with shit from the likes of you

I can't believe you know what she's getting, it's definitely confidential. Surprising but she must have negotiated hard and they really want her. Your standard maternity pay is one of the most generous I've ever heard of though!

The new employee might be given up the 52 week package by leaving, or has another offer from a firm w 52 week package.

Offers often buy out benefits /perks from other firms.

There is no issue if this is what it takes to get her.

Ive seen cash buyouts for all sorts of things. Also seen, enhanced benefits, holidays in offers. Special medical Bens..

No sane person accepts a new job for less money, less benefits.

Good for her, she negotiated it and knows her worth. She’s probably on a bigger salary than you too!

That person had no business telling you.

She's negotiated and they really want her. Up to you to push for a better deal if you're valuable enough.

Your package sounds pretty good from where I am. But anyway, I'd say she just negotiated better/ they want her more

Your current package is amazing.. I only get SMP. But anyway good for her, she's clearly made a great impression and they want her on board. If it really bothers you, negotiate. But not sure how you'd do that without putting your foot in it considering the date breach of you finding out this confidential information. Yikes.

It sounds like both of you have an excellent package and way over statutory requirements. You should not have been told and the person that told you could lose her job and face legal repercussions, because it's not actually any of your business. If you feel like you could get a better deal elsewhere, find another job and then see whether your current employer raises their standards to meet it or lets you go.

Shoot the messenger.

And worrying as he/she works for a bank. What other data breaches might they be making?

I wonder if this woman, who is obviously planning to conceive, is on MN? If she is, she will certainly recognise herself here. There can't be sooooo many small private banks currently offering enhanced maternity packages to a senior new recruit

This is not only unprofessional but a huge breach of GDPR - this person could be fired for gross misconduct if this breach is discovered

You have a very impressive maternity package already

Sounds like she has negotiated, but it is not discrimination

I negotiated extra holidays at a previous role.

I was bloody worth it, therefore they were granted.

In my experience, there are people who argue that they should get the same as other people, and people who prove they're worth more than other people.

Very rarely the same people...

It's a great lesson, negotiate, negotiate.
if you don't ask, you don't get!

It often makes you look more professional and interesting as an employee if you bother negotiating hard.

So she gets a year and a half off? That’s longer than what they need to keep her post open for though so a bit of a risk I’d have thought.

If she's on that good a deal, she'll be having a few children at evenly spaced intervals.

Wow - the person who told you will be up for (most likely) gross misconduct if you do anything with this information.

so what can you do - go to your union (because of course you are in one) and raise it with them… ask if they can negotiate a change in policy for all staff. But see the point above because they will want to know where the info has come from!

Mmm I'm sceptical. Even the best companies would struggle to be without someone for 18 months.