Maternity Pay - what does your employers offer?

[Vallmo]

Hi ladies,

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!

Thanks a lot!

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

Ditto lunar it's often the case with large companies with foreign parents - happened to me. Outsiders are often surprised as they are often the sort of company (size / industry etc) that people assume would give top benefits.

My public sector friends have all done much better than me maternity pay wise... I was stunned by the generosity of my nursing friend's pay - now I realise that is considered to be poor

[1dilemma]

treats you are right of course
however I do think you misunderstood my 100% bit what I was trying to say is that I have several friends who got 100% of their salary for 100% of the time they took on mat leave (the duration of that time may of course have been influenced by the time that was paid at 100%)
I was pleasantly surprised by ASDA
I did however have trouble sleeping last night and found myself lying in bed trying to work out whether x weeks at 100% plus y weeks at 50% was better or worse than z weeks at 90%!!!
That certainly helped me sleep and I can remember drifting off bemoaning how bad my maths had become

lunar wasn't trying to comment about your nationality/rights/entitlements etc was simply extending the conversation I frequently have with my cousin (which of course does not take place on mumsnet) she is British working in the States so loves to make great 'poor me' comments every time we talk about mat. leave/annual leave. I know that in the US the entitlements are lower than here so would automatically assume that US companies would try and do minimum however despite all the banter I couldn't actually tell you what her company does for the UK workers! I was trying to tie that in to the OP question and linking it back to Sweeden IYSWIM.

[mellifluouscauliflower]

I work for a big UK PLC and we get 26 weeks fully paid maternity leave. It is a very generous and people do often stay for life because of this and the other generous benefits.

The part of the company I work for is actually headquartered in the US. They get 6 weeks or so. This has led to some embarrassing conference calls when 2 pregnant women meet with very different paths ahead.

But is the way the US culture. You can get sacked for nothing, with no notice and no pay off. You get 2 weeks holiday a year (unless you have significant tenure).

But they do earn far far more than us for doing the same job and they pay far less for everything. So I guess we are paying for these benefits.

[HeadFairy]

BBC - 9 weeks at 90% full pay (including all London Weighting and extra salary paid for unsociable hours working)
9 weeks at 90% basic pay
21 weeks on SMP
13 weeks unpaid.

[1dilemma]

melli you added what I was going to re nurses ie 90% of very little for an extra few weeks is still very little but I didn't dare!

[Treats]

1dilemma - glad we're still friends

I'm quite to hear that some people get 100% pay for 100% of the time - and am happy to concede that where this does happen, it is more likely to be a private sector organisation, but that it's not at all common. Where do your friends work, btw????

And your last post is spot on - a lot of the maternity benefits might sound impressive on paper but it's just fiddling at the margins if the basic salary is poor.

[AnybodyHomeMcFly]

18 weeks full pay, rest of the time SMP. We accrue a full year's leave as well tho so in effect there is another 5 weeks on full pay to be taken at teh start or end.
No pay back

[Rosebud05]

Just in case anyone doesn't know (and many companies don't bother to tell their employees), annual leave entitlement accrues whilst you are on paid maternity leave, meaning that the great majority of employees will have a few extra weeks of full pay to use either side of their maternity leave.

[1dilemma]

treats I think I said generally high end London (Accenture and same lawyers etc) I have one friend who works for a high street name (eg British Rail but it's not) she is at a high managerial level her benefits are quite different from those who collect tickets!

I should add that this was pre the new guidelines so no one is being offered 100% of pay for 1 year but a couple have had that for more than 6 months with (so they say) no need to repay

There was a really long thread on here a while ago asking the same question with loads of responses bubble99 started it if I remember correctly because she runs a small business and wanted to see what she should be offering

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

Shiregirl I think that may be illegal?

I was under the impression that they had to keep your job open for the full 52 weeks.

If it is affecting you or your colleagues you should look into it - maybe start a thread in employment - people on there will know for sure.

[cierzo]

I work for Thomas Pink, and it is the standard by law, no extras. :(

[why5am]

Legally they have to keep your job open or (and here's the catch) an 'equivalent role' for 52 weeks. Equivalence is quite open to interpretation.

I work in a not-for-profit policy research organisation and as long as you've been there more than 2yrs and 15 weeks the policy is:

• 3 months full pay
  
• 3 months at 50%
  
• 3 months SMP
  
• 3 months unpaid
  

They also offer 10 paid KIT days, pay pension contribution and allow you to tack leave on or carry it over. Also very flexible about returning part time, so I'm very lucky compared to a lot of folk. (Salary is probably lower than the private sector equivalent, though, but more than made up for in other ways).

[scarlettsmummy2]

When I was last on maternity leave, I got what equated to full pay for 6 months, £1000 a month for the next three (including statutory), then £450 a month for last three. I worked for a large recruitment agency called Robert Half, and they also gave me two months pay as a return to work bonus. It was great, and this was 2.5 years ago so things may have changed!. This time I work for a housing association and will get full pay for first 8 weeks, then half pay plus stat until 18 weeks, then just statutory.

[figgygal]

12 weeks full pay and then 27 weeks SMP which isn't great compared to some other employers but best offering of any private sector company I've worked in.

[JollySergeantJackrum]

Civil service again.

26 weeks full pay
13 weeks at 90% or SMP - whichever is lower
13 weeks unpaid

There is no payback clause (I checked)

[lollystix]

I was Tuped over from a bank to my current employer. Get 12 weeks full pay then remaining up to 9 months at statutory minimum. With the new employer (supermarket), they get 6 weeks at full pay (could be 90%) and then rest at statutory min I think which is not too hot really.

[Whatevertheweather]

Gosh though I was doing quite well with 12 weeks full pay then statutory for rest. Seems not as good as I thought Work for a large retail bank (not one that's struggling either!)

Due to go on mat leave in 3 weeks and am still arguing with our (offshore) HR dept about the fact that I've had a payrise since my calculation weeks - they seem to think it's tough but according to hmrc they must recalculate under Alabaster ruling. They also seem to think they're not going to pay me my car allowance (£400 pcm) whilst I'm off even though it's in my contract as a benefit and the maternity policy states all benefits remain in place for the full 52 weeks

[scarlettsmummy2]

hi whatever- I got my car allowance the whole way through, and although my employer was good, I don't think they did this for the good of their health! I am sure it must be for legal reasons. I would check that out.

[madeindevon2]

If u return within 26 weeks you are entitled to exactly same job. After that it's same job or sthg "similar"..... Big catch there....

[Whatevertheweather]

Thanks scarlettsmummy2 I was a bit when they said I'd only get it for the first 12 weeks. Especially when they confirmed if I'd taken the company car rather than the allowance I would be allowed to keep that the whole time I was off!

I actually hate HR they've made the last few weeks I've got left at work so stressful!

[Sarahplane]

Local gov too. 13 weeks full pay then smp for 26 weeks then zero for 13 weeks if you take the last 13 weeks off. I'm wishing I worked for civil service or Nhs now too.

[casperella]

My work used to offer the statutory minimum, ie 6 weeks at 90%, then SMP up to total 9 months leave. There was an enhanced package, where depending on your performance, you could get 8 weeks at 90% - they have since decided this is discriminatory, but have improved the overall package so we get some kind of % pay for a longer period. It's still not great though!!!

My tip? Work for an oil company, they often get 6 months or more on full pay.

[casperella]

Or work in Norway - one year on full pay!

[Sarahplane]

Forgot to say we also have to pay back 7 weeks full pay if we don't go back after maternity leave.