Family friendly policies and employers - recent newspaper article

[Popi70]

if anyone is interested there is an article in the Guardian for family friendly employers.
money.guardian.co.uk/workingparents/maternity/story/0,,2137375,00.html

Interesting article that one, my company make out that their maternity package is exceptional, but its just the standard bare minimum legal package. Needless to say they were surveyed for this article and came out as poor

very interesting.

our policy is bare minimal as req by law.

shame!

it's all very well to talk about family-friendly employers. What about the attitude and experience of one's immediate manager to handle such issues? What about one's seniority? If employers want to retain the highly qualified female workforce, what about the majority of women who work in middle or low level jobs?

Also where are these 'family-friendly' employers at the debate about childcare? Don't they have any role to play towards the government's vision for 'affordable good quality childcare for the under 3s'?

This whole 'family-friendly' tag has been completely exploited by some employers to promote a positive image of their organizations (modern, humane, compassionate, equalitarian, etc), which is why so often it is thin on the ground failing to deliver anything more than the bare minimum as required by the law.

unless you work as a teacher, civil servant etc

then there is a whole host of maternity benifits...

however these are not enforced in law for the rest of us!

casbie i am a teacher, and have to say i'm not aware of a host of benefits!

Funny that even those in traditionally female jobs do not necessarily enjoy better maternity benefits. Nurses, I think, is a very good example. I know many who go into bank nursing in search for flexibility at the expense of their careers, income and pension.

"A teacher under Burgundy Book (local authority employment) conditions of service with one year or more continuous service by 11th week before the EWC will receive:

four weeks' full pay;
two weeks' 90% pay;
12 weeks' half pay plus SMP;
21 weeks' SMP;
13 weeks' unpaid leave."

i got 4 weeks at 90% and then smp of £100 a week.
i am the sole earner. so during most of my maternity i got £400 a month, to support 3 children and my hubby and me, AND pay all bills.

now tell me that teachers don't get a good deal?