Mat Leave- how many take a year?

[apples82]

I'm starting to think about how long to take off for maternity leave, this is my first pregnancy ...

Alot of the decisions I presume are made financially as to how long you can take off.

But how long does everyone take off?

I know the SMP covers the first six months, do many new mums then go back to work, or stay off for the full year if financially viable?

[apples82]

CAS77 I could kiss you

Woo hoo, that is fab news, that will def make the money stretch a bit more!!!

[ckny1]

Yes, the 39 weeks is UK law, so you are entitled to receiving it all (6 weeks at 90% of your salary and 33 weeks at about £125/week). You should also be entitled to your company's paid annual leave on top of the 39 weeks, but this will depend on what your company offers.

Mine only offered 20 days (1 month) annual leave, which I took at the beginning, though I like the idea to take it at the end like some of you did so as to relieve your bank accounts after a long period of inactivity! Nevertheless, we were afraid of our initial costs at the start of having our LO. This is the first week of my official maternity leave for one year, so in total I will be at home for a year and a month, yeah!

Though I work for an international (US) company in the UK, I was encouraged by my very kind HR rep to take the maximum amount I could take and did so. She also clearly explained that I could come back to work for a day or two and get paid for each day, even if I only came in for a few hours. My UK boss is supportive, though my US boss was in shock (though couldn't say anything b/c she understands that it's my legal right).

After 9 years with the company, I think it's time to shift my priorities to my LO and enjoy watching his development instead of that of our grantees! :)

OompaLumpa , I'm so sorry that your boss is being an a** about this, and he has no right to treat you this way. If appropriate, you should talk to your HR rep so that they may educate him!

My only caution about taking a year off is that the last weeks at work become VERY stressful as you try to hand over everything to colleagues! I guess this depends on the individual...

Good luck with your decision, and hope that everyone will be supportive! At the very least, your baby will be! :)

[PlasticLentilWeaver]

There is a difference between mat leave and SMP. Ordinary maternity leave is still only 6 months, but you get SMP for 9 months (39 weeks). After 6 months, you can take Additional Maternity Leave for up to another 6 months. The difference is that your employer is legally allowed to offer you a different role if you go into the AML period. It has to have the same terms etc, but won't necessarily be what you were doing before.

[Gonnabe]

Hi ladies, Im confused, easily done! I am due in August so was thinking of saving up my 2011 leave and going on Holiday just before my maternity leave starts (to avoid the tube in July!) and am hoping to take a year off to be with baba - will i accrue holiday whilst im on leave too?
Thanks!

[GruffalosGirl]

You cannot be disadvantaged in any way by being on maternity leave so you accrue annual leave and bank holidays exactly the same as you would if you were at work. You are also entitled to the same benefits you usually have such as your pension rights.

If it is your second child and you are using your childcare vouchers you also get these, so I have just started my maternity leave and am taking 12 months, with the last 3 months unpaid. But my employer will still have to pay me my childcare vouchers for the last three months even though I am not entitled to any salary.

Last time I used my holiday so only took 11 months, with only 2 months completely unpaid. However, i got tax back automatically in both of those months as your tax for the first six months may be at your old tax code, so you can also get that back later in the year.

[Bumpsadaisie]

I know that statutory leave is changing for from April 2011. Can anyone confirm whether SMP will be paid for 52 weeks if your baby is born after April 2011?

I know that leave will be transferable to the father after 6 months.

[PinkyMalinky]

Gonnabe - your company may be different from mine but you should be able to take all holiday to which you're entitled over the whole period (in your case 1 year) either before or after you do your maternity leave.

You should also be paid extra for any Bank Holidays which occur in the period you are on mat leave.

It is a little confusing but don't be shy about bothering your HR department until you are 100% clear.

Good luck :)

[OompaLumpa]

Gonnabe you do continue to accrue holiday leave whilst you are off but you need to think about when your employers holiday year runs from and wehther they might allow you to take entitlement into the next year - mine won't. Our holiday year runs March - March each year and i'm due on Mat leave in june. As i can't take over any annual leave accrued from June 2011 - March 2012, they are telling me i have to take it at the start of my mat leave or take cash equivalent. Not sure if this is the "norm" or not.
Thanks to all with the sympathy, it is much appreciated as frankly boss is making my life pretty miserable. I did go to HR last week as it just got too much (after i told him i couldn't fly on health grounds and he threw a massive wobbler) and they have effectively said i would need to raise a formal grievance and then acknowledged informally that going down that route would undoubtedly end in me losing my job - either being compromised out or just boss making my life even more of a misery as i had complained. Right now i am not sure i can handle that stress so for now am trying to bide my time and just keep notes on everything.
It's not right - and he is a lawyer (as am I but not employment lawyers) so should know better but he basically sees my "situation" as a sign of weakness and is going all out to demonstrate at the moment that i can't cope - which i can't Poor DH wants to knock his lights out
Sorry rant over

[OompaLumpa]

Bumpsadaisie i think the only changes from April for SMP is for the actual amount, not that it will be paid for 52 weeks. Although we can live in hope!

www.dataplanpayroll.co.uk/payroll-news/increases-ssp-smp-and-other-statutory-payments-april-2011

[apples82]

Thats a good link OompaLumpa, thanks

[urbandaisy]

My employer offers six months on full pay (which includes SMP), then statutory AML (half paid at SMP rates, half unpaid).

So that's great for me. I'll be taking six months, as I'm our main breadwinner and we couldn't pay the mortgage without my salary. Then my husband's going to take advantage of the new rules coming in from April to enable him to take some of the leave -- he'll take at least 3 months, which is how long the statutory pay will last. If we can afford it, he'll take longer.

This will work fantastically for us. He's really pleased that he'll get to spend some time as primary caregiver to the baby before its first birthday.

[apples82]

Are there any other changes coming into force in April 2011 other than the £4 increase in SMP and the fathers being able to take a portion of leave?

[GruffalosGirl]

OompaLumpa I feel so sorry for you. That seems really harsh but unsuprising to be honest. One of my friends is a solicitor and she was treated really badly by her firm when she had her first baby, plus she was only entitled to statutory maternity pay. She's since moved to employment law and they've been much better with her this time round.

In our place you can only take holiday you have already accrued, in case you don't go back. My leave year starts in November and I went off in Feb so I could only take half my leave so they have had to let me carry it over into next year so I think everywhere must be different.

[IWillNotNeverEatATomato]

I took nearly a year, where 9 mths was maternity leave and then nearly 3 mths ish of accrued holiday, but in my job (education) I was not able to carry over any holiday to the next year as the holiday year just goes from Sept to Sept and our contract states that any unused leave expires with the beginning of every new academic year.

so it worked out financially better for me to take 9mths and then 2 mths holiday i.e. full pay

[vimtolover]

I am 20 weeks pregnant now and wondering how much time to take off work, as its my first baby and I havent got a clue what is going to hit me.
I agree with CAS77, the law is the law and if you go onto the BIS website its all there for you and your employer. 9 months smp, which is 6 weeks at 90% and £128 a week thereafter.
Sadly for me, i used to work for a compnay that would have given me 100% for 6 months then 50% for 3 moths after that, but I left there and now only get statutory! darn it!
I like my job, I work from home 3 days a week and I am wondering if I could go back at 6 months. But I have no idea. we have savings so I could be off for a year but thats all our savings and that worries me somewhat.

[Trinaluce]

I'm going to be taking the full year - I too work with the NHS, and I don't know if it's service-wide but my trust will spread the smp across the whole 52 weeks. This way I won't be getting any week with less pay than any other: I might get less each week than I would otherwise, but there won't suddenly come the point where the pay stops! All very nice this time round: last time the company I'd been working for as a temp for 3 years suddenly decided I didn't have enough experience to do the job permanently, funnily enough only 2 weeks after I'd announced the pregnancy....

OompaLoompa - DEFINITELY speak to your HR, there is no way your boss can be making your life difficult or discriminating against you because of your pregnancy. Keep a log of discrimatory behaviour (with dates and times if necessary).

[apples82]

I hope to take the year, and use a little holiday either side pre birth and post with holiday entitlements.

Really tricky to work out though!

[WiiUnfit]

Sorry to hi-jack! :/

What happens if you earn enough (£97 per week) but less per week than SMP? I work part time so I'm a bit as to what will happen with me?

[freckleye]

13 months dc1.14 months dc2... maternity leave and annual leave combined. I would take as long as you can...you don't get those first days/month back xx

[Chynah]

WUnfit - HMRC website is the best place for information regarding SMP/MA etc and they are very helpful should you ever need to phone them.

[mamadoc]

I took 10 months last time and hoping for same this time. That included some holiday.

I do think 6 months is an especially hard time to go back to work and wouldn't have liked to have done it. Its just at the time you are trying to wean them, less chance of them actually sleeping by then, if you bf they are more dependent on milk still so you have all the hassle of expressing or swopping to formula.

By 10 mo DD was eating a reasonable amount, able to use a lidded cup so no bottle required and just bf am and pm so no formula or expressing either. She still wasn't sleeping but it was down to just the one wake up. (Hoping for a sleepy one this time!)

[WiiUnfit]

Thanks Chynah, very helpful! :o

[doodledee]

Had a year off with DD - am now 30 weeks pregnant and finishing in 6 weeks time and will have another year off.

[trixymalixy]

I took a full year for both of mine.

[BikeRunSki]

I took a year with DS. Was bored to tears in the last 2 months! That sounds very unloving, but I was desperate to go back to work when I did, and would have gone a few weeks sooner, but I did only go back part time. The last 3 months of my year was accumulated leave, so not financially difficult. Probabaly won't take a year with DC2 for financial and "boredom" reasons, but more thaN 6 months.


DS was a September baby though, so all the mum and baby groups and activities that had become my structure with him had not been on for 8 weeks or so before I went back to work. I think that contributed to my boredom.