What's your entitlement to maternity pay?

[MaybeMabel]

Just exploring the teacher's maternity pay and I was wondering how other sectors compare. Mine is:

2 weeks full pay
4 weeks 90%
12 weeks 50%
then on to SMP

(that's for teachers employed without break for over 1 year and 26 weeks (prior to being 25 weeks pregnant) in their current school, otherwise it's SMP of £135)

Wow that's good - I just get statutory: 6 weeks 90% then SMP til 39 weeks.

That's a smallish company in private sector.

I think teaching must be county specific or LEA specific, as my sister did not get that even though she had been at the school for years. She got 2 weeks full, 4 weeks 90% and then SMP.

I get six weeks at 90% and then stat, so statutory minimum.

sundae, it's universal for state schools. Same as smp with the additional 12 weeks at 50% (offset)

I was asking as a friend working in a large company says she'll get 6 months at 50%

Am very fortunate, I get 6 months full pay, 3 months SMP then 3months no pay.

I work in transport.

Oh and to get that (I think) you just need not to have been pregnant when you started, no set time of continuous employment needed. But ive worked there for 5 years so isn't an issue for me but was for a colleague

I work in the public sector.
8 weeks full pay
18 weeks half pay plus SMP
then SMP for 12 weeks

Am fortunate but know that it will eventually change

I work for a government body and it's 26 weeks full pay, 13 weeks statutory, 13 weeks nothing, which I know is very generous. also you get the pay at the right time, unlike in my old job in the private sector where you got the above-statutory enhancement as a lump sum when you came back to work which (a) left you out of pocket during maternity leave and (b) resulted in less-favourable tax treatment than if you'd been paid as you went along.

I think you might have had to have a certain amount of service (perhaps a year) by a certain point in the pregnancy to get the enhancement. Also you have to come back to work afterwards for 3 months full time or 6 months part time otherwise they can ask you to repay the enhancement.

I am public sector too.
My employer will allow up to 12 months off and will average my pay over that 12 month period.
So i get a set pay each month for 12 months, no major drops at all, which i think is fab.

8 weeks full pay, 13 weeks half pay plus smp then i think the last 6 weeks is smp only.

6 months full pay, 6 months unpaid

i get 6 wks 90%, 6wks 50% (which is less than smp cos im part time so itl end up being smp) and then 33 smp. we do get a return to work bonus though which will be nice £700

Mine is 26 weeks full pay (less SMP), 13 weeks SMP and 13 weeks nothing. That's a private sector utility company.

oops. i work in the private sector .. might campaign for more after reading these

I work for a healthcare charity that receives some statutory funding. We get:

8 weeks full pay
10 weeks half pay (which include SMP)
21 weeks SMP
Then nothing

Came from a commercial organisation where I think it was full pay (plus any bonuses owing) for 16 weeks then SMP. You had to pay back the enhanced bit if you didn't return to work for at least three months after mat leave. And you got to keep your company car during mat leave. Possibly should have stayed in that job

Everyone on the thread so far is from the UK, aren't we? I'd be very interested to hear from anyone from the States; I gather maternity provision there is nothing like as good as here.

I'm in private sector professional services. I get 18 weeks full pay, 21 weeks SMP & 13 weeks no pay. DH is at the same firm and gets 2 weeks full time paternity pay.

Pretty good really. You used to have to be there for 4 years to get that but now anyone who meets the statutory requirements for maternity leave gets this deal.

You don't have to pay anything back if you only go back full time or don't go back.

I got pg too early and missed the extra for 12 months service by 20 weeks or something like that so its I think smp normal rates for me for 39 weeks

Weeks 1 - 8 full pay
Weeks 9 - 26 half pay + smp
Weeks 27 - 39 smp
Weeks 40 - 52 no pay.

NHS.

I work in management in a global hotel chain....I got statutory: 6weeks @ 90%, rest at £128 pw. Last three months unpaid. It was a gutter that they didnt offer any more.

Public sector.

26 weeks full pay
13 SMP
13 nothing.

My employer treats me very well and I am loyal and work hard in return. I value feeling valued :).

I get 12 weeks full pay, 8 weeks half pay, 19 weeks SMP and 13 weeks unpaid.

If DH was to get pregnant (unlikely i know) he would get 26 weeks full pay and 13 weeks SMP! However, he works in finance and around half of his pay is his bonus which you obviously don't get if your on maternity leave so its not as good as it sounds, still pretty good though!

Rather annoyingly i became pregnant a week before he started his job (so conception was after he started), which means that hes not entitled to his paternity leave. We're not public yet but I'm hoping that his company will let him off, or let him take "unbooked" holiday.

Forgot to mention, i work for a tech company.

Secondsop My sister lives in the States. There is no maternity pay provision in her (very generous) pay package. With both her kids she took the maximum allowed off work - 12 weeks. For 6 weeks of that she could claim 'disability benefit' from the state, the other 6 weeks unpaid.

How much 'disability benefit' you can claim, and for how long, varies from state to state. I guess you could negotiate maternity pay/ leave into your work contract, but as she said, when she first started in her career it didn't even cross her mind and then to suddenly start negotiating for it (she re-negotiates her contract every 2 or 3 years) would look suspicious.

Public sector- stat maternity pay

I work for a university:

16 weeks full pay, then onto normal SMP until 39 weeks.

I work at a decent sized law firm in central London and just get statutory minimum. Would help hugely if they would pay even a bit more.