Anyone else starting maternity leave and feeling hard done by with the furlough scheme going on?

[NemophilistRebel]

Are there any other pregnant women feeling a bit rubbish about starting maternity leave soon on SMP only to find their colleagues are furloughed on 80% pay ?

You knew what you'd be getting paid when you went on maternity leave when you chose to have a baby. No-one chose to be furloughed. I can't believe there are people this greedy and selfish in the world.

Couldn't agree more @Candyfloss99

Oh behave. I've just lost all my work this year and have no income. Please don't whine about this.

Oh, I get it.
Yes, you are correct. They forgot about you, and haven't cut 80% off your SSP. It is unfair. Why should they get a pay cut and you don't? Completely agree, back your colleagues and draw this unfairness to payroll.

I know of several people had to bring their maternity leave start date forward when the advice was for pregnant women to isolate. They did this and then I believe the scheme was announced the next week (I think) so they were a bit unhappy about this as it had impacted their plans in terms of maternity leave start date (and so altering the overall length) and of course finances too. I can see why this would be frustrating.

yes I had to bring mine forward.
It’s a shame as it means I have to return to work far sooner than planned (if there’s even a job to go back to afterwards)
Money is obviously tight for everyone but being forced on maternity leave and then a husband on furlough with the liklihood of not having a job soon is panic inducing

You said you were starting mat leave 'soon', not that you had already started it.

What Candyfloss said. Can't believe how many people have such a selfish, self-absorbed way of thinking, so adolescent.

Ursula - it starts 1st April
Shouldn’t have needed to start it for another 6 weeks

I'm a little
Confused to be honest

I didn't think your company could bring your maternity leave forward unless there was a medical reason for it or you were off with a pregnancy related illness

Did you not challenge this when HR and your work spoke to you about it. What was the reason for the early maternity was it the coronavirus outbreak? Have they said it's because of the isolation

My understanding is that you can be offered furlough up to when you originally had planned for maternity leave however, I would also think that the 6 weeks at 90% of salary would then go against the 80% of furlough salary so you would be worse off for that 6 week period.

I think that it would be awful to be someone whose furloughed with all the anxiety of whether there will be a job to come back to so as others have said on here I would think being on maternity gives you more protection future wirk and retuning.

I think sometimes we should look at the fortunate position we are in rather than thinking the grass is greener. After all you are currently off to prepare for the birth of your baby. You have time to rest up, relax and get all excited about his or her arrival. So many people would see that as a blessing

Agree with everyone else TBH. Odd post & exceedingly thoughtless & selfishly worded. You will be receiving 100% of what you have always known you would be entitled to at this time. Your colleagues will be receiving only 80%.

Had you posted saying how worrying you found the situation as a whole - partner on 80% wage, uncertain re job to go back to etc - your point of view would be a lot more understandable.

OP most people will say omg so selfish, when in reality if all of their colleagues were off getting more money than them they would at least float the idea of being annoyed. You don't seem bitter or resentful that they are gretting it, just upset that you aren't which is fair enough. If you are taking a year off they will likely be back at work by then anyway. Unless you are poorly within so many weeks they shouldn't have been able to force you onto mat leave early, I know it's unprecendented circumstances, but lots of places just making stuff up. I hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well, try and enjoy it.

Surely it's the person covering your job whilst you're on mat leave who would be furloughed? That's to say, presumably your employer has arranged cover for your role, that's the person who is entitled to the furlough scheme as they would be the one actually doing the job in this period?

Well on the plus side your SSP will get paid for a lot longer than furloughed staff as the government can't maintain that for very long.

Yes, I can see how much nicer it would have been for you if your colleagues had simply been laid off. Poor you.

Sorry but this does feel a bit pointy elbowed. As others have said if you are getting what you expected, why would you want more? The furlough scheme is designed as a protective measure for the economy and is focused on those who ordinarily would be made redundant. You are not seeing the bigger picture

I totally get it, we all pay taxes and out of those taxes the government has decided that employed people on furlough need 80% of their pay to get by and employed women on smp roughly 25% of (my pay anyways) to get by. They didn't pay more taxes than I did but they get more financial assistance. I'd feel put out too. I was laid of during mat leave recently and now I can't get a job or any financial assistance so I think some people getting 80% and others nothing is a bit annoying. Other countries have automatic financial support for recently employed people too.

I don’t get this?!

You’re on mat leave, this was planned before the pandemic! Get a grip!

Some people have lost their jobs, at least you still will have something to go back to!

Also why should women who happen to be on mat leave now be entitled to 80% whilst any other time you would get stat mat pay!

Just be grateful for what you have!

Do all of you know that it’s perfectly possible to express disagreement with somebody and not be an absolute arsehole about it?

I would be frustrated too if my maternity leave was brought forward by 6 weeks by my employer and then other colleagues were furloughed for the same time period. Who really wants to be on mat leave 6 weeks before the baby arrives unless there’s a medical reason? Especially when you could have been furloughed on 80% salary instead.

I worked part-time before I was furloughed. My full-time colleagues are getting higher furlough that I am, even though we are all (not) working the same amount. I don't feel aggrieved. I might though, if I were trying to scrape by on UC and all the admin and restrictions that go with that - I think those are the only people who have a justified sense of unfairness.

If you are a teacher on mat leave during August then you are on mat pay while colleagues are at home on 100% pay not working.

It’s just the way it works sometimes.