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Original poster

To get a job for the mat pay?

46 replies

jeloc · 15/02/2024 12:27

I am not going to start trying for a baby for at least another year but feel I should start preparing.

I am currently a freelancer so won't get any mat pay. I have a nice lump of savings of £30k but I don't want to spend these, I want to purchase a larger home (own a 1 bed flat).

I have freelanced for three years and am growing my client base. I love freelancing but only make £25-£30k, but this is growing by £5k every year.

My friend works for a corporate and just got a year off fully paid at £60k a year.

Is it unethical to get a job now, just so I can get the year off fully paid? I am aware that in some contracts you have to pay it back if you don't return, but my friend isn't returning and her contract doesn't have that.

I don't think it will be easy getting a job that pays £60k but I have great experience and may find a less paid job that will give me a year off fully paid. I am worried about losing my clients as I wouldn't want to continue with a job after mat leave.

What do other freelancers do? We couldn't afford to not have two incomes. My parter runs a business and takes home between £18k and £40k depending on the year. Last year it was £26k .

My partner has £10k savings.

OP posts:
LoopyGremlin · 15/02/2024 12:28

I don't know many jobs where you would get a full year off paid! Certainly not if you've only been there a short time.

Alwaystired2023 · 15/02/2024 12:29

I did exactly that OP, we have to plan these things where possible as women

LIZS · 15/02/2024 12:29

That seems a very rare benefit. For many enhanced schemes there are qualifying criteria - grade, length of service etc.

Original poster
jeloc · 15/02/2024 12:31

@Alwaystired2023 how long were you at the company before you became pregnant? Were you a freelancer too?

OP posts:
southeastlady · 15/02/2024 13:06

I've never heard of a year off fully paid maternity leave (not to say it doesnt exist but pretty rare I think)

When I had my son I had the first 6 weeks as full pay, then from memory the rest was 50% pay

Alwaystired2023 · 15/02/2024 13:10

2 years? It was a long term plan and I'm committed to staying at the company post maternity etc. it doesn't have a years full pay! Yes was freelance before but had also worked in permanent roles in my career so maybe not such a big change as it would be for a career freelancer

dementedpixie · 15/02/2024 13:12

Are you self employed? You can claim Maternity Allowance if so.

I'm not sure many places will offer full pay for the duration of maternity leave. If they offer extra then it usually stops after 9 months as the rest of leave is usually unpaid

CrispsandCheeseSandwich · 15/02/2024 13:17

Is it unethical to get a job now, just so I can get the year off fully paid? I am aware that in some contracts you have to pay it back if you don't return, but my friend isn't returning and her contract doesn't have that

To find a job that gives a full year paid, with no requirement to pay any back when you leave, and that doesn't want you to have been in post for a set amount of time before you're able to have the benefit will not be easy.

However, I don't think it's unethical, and if you found such a job, go for it.

I just had enhanced mat pay, full pay for 6 months and then statutory, with no requirement to pay it back. It wasn't a full year though, and I needed to have been working there 2 years in order to get it.

Cheepcheepcheep · 15/02/2024 13:22

I can’t answer to the freelancer point but both my DH and I are in the City and the standard now among most forward thinking employers is 6 months full paid then stat. That said, there are some dinosaurs out there - I moved roles a year before DC1 was conceived and discovered new firm was ‘6 weeks at 90% and then stat’ which was fairly awful! This was 4 years ago, so fairly recent. The problem is, lots of employers won’t share the policy until you’re there (or if you’re lucky, it’s provided with the employment contract on offer) so there’s a risk of making the move just to discover you’re not much better off…

GreatGateauxsby · 15/02/2024 13:27

Completely sensible.

I did this.
my old company had 6weeks full pay and statutory and no eligibility for bonus….

my current company pays 6m full pay, 3m stat, company bonus and a baby bonus. Eligibility is from day 1 of employment but this varies considerably. There is also no payback clause if I leave post mat leave.

I’ve just had my second baby there…and will have a financially comfortable year of mat leave.

Hibernatalie · 15/02/2024 13:29

No reason why not, just consider that you will probably need to work there for 2 years before you are eligible, that is a very generous maternity and not usual, and you will have a minimum term you have to work there afterwards or you need to pay it all back.

SisterMichaelsHabit · 15/02/2024 13:35

Assuming your NICs are paid, you can just claim maternity allowance. It's not a great idea to work for a business just to get enhanced mat pay (and you can't exactly ask about it discreetly at interview) as it makes them less likely to keep that as a benefit for women in the future.

That's unless you're thinking you'd like a stabler job for after the baby arrives, in which case crack on with a view to returning to the job afterwards. It's also good to get some early pension contributions put away before your money gets eaten up by babies so make the most of those employer contributions while you can.

If you don't own a house already, it is also really good to have a job to get a mortgage and you'll never have such good affordability as before you have a baby as childcare will be deducted from your affordability forevermore afterwards and you might want to work fewer hours/spend more time with the baby.

tutttutt · 15/02/2024 13:36

How do people not think this is unethical?
To specifically get a job knowing you will not be returning just to get MB is totally unethical. Doesn't help the cause for women in the workplace either.
@GreatGateauxsby how is it 'sensible' and not 'cynical and unethical' to take a job and announce immediately you are pregnant, work for say 6 months, taking time out for prenatal care, get the 6 months pay plus bonuses and then never come back?

PPTorPDF · 15/02/2024 14:27

tutttutt · 15/02/2024 13:36

How do people not think this is unethical?
To specifically get a job knowing you will not be returning just to get MB is totally unethical. Doesn't help the cause for women in the workplace either.
@GreatGateauxsby how is it 'sensible' and not 'cynical and unethical' to take a job and announce immediately you are pregnant, work for say 6 months, taking time out for prenatal care, get the 6 months pay plus bonuses and then never come back?

Exactly. This just makes it harder for women!

Kattenburg · 15/02/2024 14:43

Yep @tutttutt and @PPTorPDF
I am an employer, I consider myself warned.

CrispsandCheeseSandwich · 15/02/2024 14:45

tutttutt · 15/02/2024 13:36

How do people not think this is unethical?
To specifically get a job knowing you will not be returning just to get MB is totally unethical. Doesn't help the cause for women in the workplace either.
@GreatGateauxsby how is it 'sensible' and not 'cynical and unethical' to take a job and announce immediately you are pregnant, work for say 6 months, taking time out for prenatal care, get the 6 months pay plus bonuses and then never come back?

If a company pays enhanced mat pay without any minimum length of employment to qualify, and without any requirement to go back to work at the end of it, they have clearly deemed this a risk worth taking. They are saying "come and work for us and these are the benefits" and OP is planning on taking them up on it (although as I said upthread, I think she'll be hard pushed to find everything she's looking for).

Dacadactyl · 15/02/2024 14:47

I would 100% do this.

Look into it all though and double check that you won't have to pay some back, but if you're better off becoming employed, do it for sure.

idontlikealdi · 15/02/2024 14:49

You have to employed for two years by the point of ML to get enhanced in my company which has recently gone up to a year fully paid couldn't convince me to have another child though

there is a sliding scale to paying it back if you dont return or leave before a certain time limit

CrispsandCheeseSandwich · 15/02/2024 14:50

Kattenburg · 15/02/2024 14:43

Yep @tutttutt and @PPTorPDF
I am an employer, I consider myself warned.

Warned about what? Were you planning on offering a full year of maternity pay to employees from day one with no requirement to come back to work? And this thread has stopped you?
The vast majority of employers don't offer this for this very reason. It's very very easy to prevent someone doing what OP is thinking about. Presumably you currently are set up in a way that doesn't allow this to happen? Either by not offering enhanced pay, or by putting rules in place like a requirement to come back to work afterwards?

tutttutt · 15/02/2024 15:00

@CrispsandCheeseSandwich the question was 'is this unethical'. My answer is yes

shearwater2 · 15/02/2024 15:07

PPTorPDF · 15/02/2024 14:27

Exactly. This just makes it harder for women!

Show quote history

No it's bloody well not unethical. Any more than man taking a job due to the high salary or free gym membership. Loads of people have unscheduled time off for long periods if they become unwell, at least employers have time to plan for mat leave.

PurpleBugz · 15/02/2024 15:10

I mean you can do it but then do you think the people who hired you will be likely to hire another woman of childbearing age once you take the maternity money and leave?

shearwater2 · 15/02/2024 15:22

Sure, why not? Someone might work somewhere a short time and leave for all sorts of reasons. The fact they even have a generous maternity policy says to me that they want to attract women of childbearing age.

tutttutt · 15/02/2024 15:23

@shearwater2
No it's bloody well not unethical. Any more than man taking a job due to the high salary or free gym membership. Loads of people have unscheduled time off for long periods if they become unwell, at least employers have time to plan for mat leave.
It is unethical if the woman has no intention of returning after having the baby. Men don't take a job for 12 months gym membership then piss off never to return.

tutttutt · 15/02/2024 15:25

shearwater2 · 15/02/2024 15:22

Sure, why not? Someone might work somewhere a short time and leave for all sorts of reasons. The fact they even have a generous maternity policy says to me that they want to attract women of childbearing age.

Edited

Because the intention is to never return. If you take a job in all good faith but stuff happens then that is one thing. Cynically taking a job with no intention to stay is unethical. Intention is everything