So angry! How unfair is this !!!

[SilverFox90]

So I went on maternity in March and only receive statutory maternity pay, so £600pm.
Now the government have decided that anyone who went on maternity on or after 25th April can be furloughed and receive 80% of their normal wage !

How is that fair. I’m here struggling and others will be receiving 80% of their normal pay ! 😡

Anyone else in the same position or think that this is wrong ?
Okay, good for those who are lucky enough to be receiving it but why give one without the other.

In my experience, you're very very lucky to get anything over and above SSP.

I feel so naive! My company offers 3 months full pay, 3 months half pay and 3 months SMP and I thought that was a bit stingy. I’ll be thanking my lucky stars instead now...!

I got 6 months full pay and then 3 months SSP, but I considered the 'package' along with just salary, and went for a lower salary but better benefits job purposefully.

The government has to draw a line somewhere. You do sound greedy.

I’m just saying I’m pissed off that I’ve missed out
Missed out on what the worry of when you will go back to work and if you will at all . Many of us may not go back then be out of work the furloughed scheme is only up to end of June currently . Your on maternity leave you don't need to worry about as and when you will go back to work next week or never .
You know what you were earning and that hasn't changed before covid or after .
The example of a colleague getting a pay rise over you is not the same thing .
You really need to give your head a wobble and think about things properly. Good luck with the baby and enjoy maternity leave .

You are getting what you thought you were getting so don't be bitter and try to profit out of this .

You are “losing” some money but gaining a beautiful baby. Some of us would give our right arms for that.

Alsohuman got that figure from the WASPI (women against state pension inequality) site. They say 3.8 million women affected.

You’re right @viques, I apologise. This is what stuck in my head.

Some of the worst affected were the 300,000 women born between December 1953 and October 1954, who were made to wait an extra 18 months before they could retire.

Well it's not that unfair, is it? Basically you can choose to end your ML and go back to work, as you could before Covid. The only difference is that you might get furloughed when you return to work and get some higher pay for a few weeks, but that could be cancelled at any time and you'd be due back at work. So you either gamble on that or stay on ML and know you have the full duration.

If I had a newborn baby at home, I wouldn't be risking my maternity leave on the possibility of ongoing furlough. A couple of friends on furlough have already had it cancelled or the timing readjusted.

It’s not that shocking when you consider that paid maternity leave of any kind only started in 1999.

Well I got SMP in 1997!

Just checked.... SMP was introduced in 1987.

@backinthebox
Difficult to respond without knowing this industry you refer to.

Certainly not finance or law

I work for a huge company the money is ok above national average and bonuses and they don't give any enhanced maternity package which I was surprised at but i am grateful I get something.
I would rather be at work then furloughed and life to go back to normal.

If you want to give notice to end your maternity leave in the hope you will be furloughed you can. You may not be furloughed and beyond the end of June you may have to go back as normal - happy with that? If so crack on.

Cake, with icing, but I'm going to kick off as there's no cherry!

@Bringringbring12 I did provide a link in my post, but since you didn't read it, I'll provide it again. And no, it is not finance or law. HERE is the link. Seems I was a touch too subtle the first time.

Right, according to the gov't website itself, which was last updated on thursday, so reasonable to assume it's accurate.

'If you are on maternity leave, adoption leave, paternity leave or shared parental leave the normal rules for maternity and other forms of parental leave and pay apply.

Your employer can claim through the scheme for enhanced (earnings related) contractual pay for employees who qualify for either:

maternity pay
adoption pay
paternity pay
shared parental pay

If you are pregnant and about to start maternity leave you should start maternity leave as normal. If your earnings have reduced because you were put on furlough or off sick before your maternity leave started, this may affect your Statutory Maternity Pay. The same rules apply to adoption pay, paternity pay and shared parental pay.'

Basically, what this means is that employers can claim, through the furlough scheme, the cost of any enhanced maternity pay packages they contractually offer. So if your employer offers six months on full pay for example, they can claim that cost back from the government.

You will still get the normal maternity package you are contracted to get.

To get 80% pay instead of statutory mat pay, you will need to give notice and end your mat pay, which will mean, as I said, that you will need to be ready to go back to work at any time.

I got 6 months full pay and then 3 months SSP, but I considered the 'package' along with just salary, and went for a lower salary but better benefits job purposefully.

Did you ask upfront what the maternity package was? I've only ever had bonus, pension scheme, discounts etc "sold" to me. I've generally only discovered the maternity & sick pay policy upon reading the staff handbook once i've started the role.

No idea where on earth you’ve got that from OP but I assure you it’s complete nonsense.

If you want 80% of your normal pay you’ll have to end your maternity leave (which only you can do) and go on to furlough instead, assuming your employer will do that.

If you are receiving enhanced maternity pay your employer could claim 80% of the enhanced element. This would make no difference at all to your pay.

I’m assuming you considered your maternity pay when you decided to procreate. You must have made your peace with it enough at the time to decide to have a child.
Trying to profit from a global pandemic is the grabbiest sense of entitlement I’ve ever witnessed

Anyone else on maternity leave hoping their colleagues aren’t reading this and thinking the OP is you?

It’s a bit short sighted to jealous of colleagues on furlough.

Did you just have a baby to be of work - I hope not. Now the whole team are of and It’s taken the shine of it for you?

Enjoy what you have and planned. Isn’t that a better situation?

Did you ask upfront what the maternity package was? I've only ever had bonus, pension scheme, discounts etc "sold" to me. I've generally only discovered the maternity & sick pay policy upon reading the staff handbook once i've started the role

For transparency everything is available online where I work, so I did look through before the interview. Having seen family members left destitute with really crap sick pay when they have had cancer etc it became a priority, just in case. Been lucky enough to not have to have any time off ill yet, but I like knowing it's there, and one mat leave.

@ploopsie I probably would ask though, no doubt some employers would take it as a negative that you are daring to possibly consider to procreate, but it's important imo.

British female pilots - sorry not an industry I am familiar with. Hope the campaign goes well.

My point - well that was relating to the somewhat larger industries of finance and law

Virgin Atlantic Jet2 and SAS amongst others are already offering enhanced maternity packages