Maternity Pay what does your employer offer?

[cathing]

I am trying to benchmark my company's maternity policy when it comes to "topping up" statutory maternity pay and am wondering if you don't mind telling me who you work for and what enhanced maternity pay your employer currently offers. All answers will be very much appreciated!

If you would rather not give your company name, please could you tell me what region of the country you are in? I work in the East midlands so I imagine companies in London etc...may offer better benefits?

I'm also in the E. Mids and my employer offers SMP only. They employ around 50 people

London, large publishing company with offices up and down the country.
First 6 weeks at 90% pay then SMP for the rest.

Hi there cathing - we're just going to move this over to a more appropriate topic so you can get the best response.

I'm in the City, medium sized business, 6 weeks full pay, then SMP

My friend works at a big insurance company in the City, 12 weeks full pay, 6 weeks half pay then SMP.

I work in the West Midlands.

I will get 3 months full pay, followed by 6 months smp then 3 months of nothing. We can then add on 4 weeks of parental leave at 65% of salary.

I get paid my car allowance the whole time plus my employer will continue to make my pension contributions on my behalf, even whilst on smp.

I'm aware that I am very lucky!

I'm in London, public sector, 20 weeks at full pay followed by 19 at SMP and the remaining 13 weeks (should I take off a year) at nothing.

I'm in the East Midlands, working for a large multi-national company.

I get six months at full pay, three at half pay and three at zero pay. My car allowance and other benefits (eg private medical cover) are paid throughout.

Despite it's failings, my company is very generous in this respect.

I work in a law firm in the city. we get 6 weeks full pay then 18 weeks at full pay spread over 33 weeks. this includes SMP. i accrue holiday (28 days a year) at full pay, so am encouraged to take this in full to make sure i don't lose it, ie the first or last few weeks could be taken as holiday time and therefore at full pay.

they also offer shared parental leave.

Communications agency. Northwest England.

Statutory minimum for us. If you've been there 2 years you get £1000 if you return to work full time. Sod all otherwise!

London. First six weeks at 90%, 20 weeks at 50% and then SMP for the last bit.

My sister gets three months full pay then SMP which sounds better but I don't actually think it is.

Also get holiday and all other benefits paid throughout - healthcare etc.

NHS:
8 weeks full pay
18 weeks half pay
8 weeks smp
Weeks 40-52 nada

I'm in the South East, work for a university and get 6 months full pay then SMP for 3 months.

University based in London

Either - 18 weeks full pay followed by SMP or
9 weeks full pay, followed by 18 weeks half pay - 9 weeks of the 18 weeks half pay is plus SMP then down to half then finally on SMP.

I choose to go for 18 weeks then SMP as they will pay out childcare vouchers at no cost to my SMP when I am on only SMP so financially it works out better.

South East...

We get 6 weeks @ 100%, 12 weeks at 50% plus SMP, then the rest at SMP only. But they accrue and honour all holiday, so that's another month at full pay effectively. I thought that was a good deal until I saw some of these others!

hazelnutlatte I've just seen yours...I work for a Uni in the South East too...6 months FULL PAY!? That's amazing!!

Oh sorry I should've said NHS is 18 weeks half pay +smp.

So 8 weeks full
18 weeks half +smp
8 weeks snp
The rest nothing but holiday is accrued and bank holidays in lieu

University based. If you've worked here a year by the 15th week of pregnancy, then you qualify for contractual maternity pay which is 6 months on full pay and then the next 3 months on SMP and the last 3 months unpaid. You need to return to work for 12 months, if you leave before then you will need to pay back the difference between contractual maternity pay and SMP.

Should have said, I'm at a RG uni in the south.

Was deeply envious of the CMP at Oxford where you qualified for it immediately on employment if you'd already qualified for it at your previous university.

I moved unis 12 months before my ds1 was born so gave up CMP at prev. uni and only got SMP here. Got full CMP second time around, thank goodness.

Engineering firm

10,000+ employees

12 wks full remainder at SMP

NHS:
8 weeks full pay
18 weeks half pay plus SMP
13 weeks SMP
13 weeks nothing
Then 52 weeks worth of annual leave and bank holidays to take.

Pretty good really.

Btw, all employers are legally required to pay full pension contributions and Child care vouchers and let you accur leave when you are on maternity leave.

In fact I think they have to keep giving you all the benefits you would get if at work so those who medical insurance, cars etc are still paid, this is not your employer being generous, it is what they are legally required to do.

Vet at big practice that is part of a large corporate - nothing beyond the statutory

Large manufacturing company global but my place of work north west England.

18 weeks full pay (1st 6 based on average pay in weeks 17-25 of pregnancy so if you timed it for bonus pay month you're quids in!!) 22 weeks smp and final 12 unpaid. Accrue full holiday entitlements so can add these on to the back end of your leave if you want. Can opt for a phased return if going back full time (e.g 75% of full time hours for 2 months), hundreds of part time working patterns (including term time options), flexible working hours, keeping in touch days, return to work workshops.

I've just gone back on 3 x 8 hour days a week took 11 month's maternity +1 month annual leave before baby's birth last June. Have experienced really good support and emphasis on work life balance.

I enjoy my job and acknowledge that my employer offers several employee benefits including this good package. But I worked bloody hard to get the job and harder to keep it and secure several promotions so I don't feel too bad.

social housing charity - SMP only