Maternity leave: employer discretion, pay and benefits

[Catnipdelight]

Hello all 👋

I haven't been at my current employer for long enough to qualify for maternity pay/SMP, so I will be taking maternity allowance.

This is all fine and I'm not expecting anything else.

I just wanted to ask and see if anyone had any surprisingly positive experiences in a case like this -- e.g has anyone had an employer who offered them longer service maternity benefits even if you hadn't been there quite long enough?

Just curious, really! My employer is aware and we are about to do all the paperwork/admin side. They've been really lovely so far.

@FennecShandDoesEverything

I just wanted to ask and see if anyone had any surprisingly positive experiences in a case like this -- e.g has anyone had an employer who offered them longer service maternity benefits even if you hadn't been there quite long enough?

Not to spell out the obvious, but what do you think would happen if the company said "oh, go ahead, I know you don't technically qualify, but we really like you, have the benefits"? Everyone in the past or future who was in the same circumstance and didn't get them now has grounds for a grievance. Or quite possibly a discrimination claim. Why you and not them? Benefits cutoffs have to be clear and transparently applied.

I've just been in this situation and my lovely employer offered me 50% of the fully-paid maternity leave despite me having not been there long enough to qualify for it.

So although you're "spelling out the obvious" it may not actually be as clear-cut as you made it sound. Some employers do actually seem to deviate from the "computer says no" book of HR!