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!

[LoopyLa]

I've also heard the same thing about holiday not taken, would be good to double-check.

Work for major online retailer - 14 weeks at FULL, then 25 weeks SMP, then 3 months of nada - and that's supposed to be good for retail!! I'm very at other people's packages...

[BigGreenFrog]

I work for the 'Worlds Favourite Airline'
6 weeks @ 90% followed by 33 weeks @ SMP
Then a further 26 weeks unpaid. RUBBISH compared to most things on here!

[londonlivvy]

BigGreenFrog I am surprised to find someone with a worse package than me. Sorry...

I get 6 weeks @ 90%
then 5 weeks @ 50% (cos I've been here five years)
then 28 weeks SMP.
Then nada.

I work at an American company though so they think this is v.generous (which it is, I gather, compared to most US companies in the US). I suspect they'd like me to take my blackberry to the hospital and be back at work within a couple of weeks, ideally.

[Jen1203]

6 weeks @ 90% and the SMP, the min they can get away with! Re. Hols I was told I can carry my hols over to next year, usually we can't do this but legally they have to let me because I am Preggers

[Goldrill]

Small charity. Standard SMP and max 5 days holiday to carry over. Ho hum.

[osaenlondres]

Big international bank. 19 weeks full pay, then 20 weeks of SMP, then 13 weeks unpaid. Allowed up to 10 keep-in-touch days during the ML which wil be paid in full.

[Ambivalence]

I work for a council, you would think as it is public sector it would be generous, but it is miserly - 6 weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings plus 33 weeks at statutory maternity pay.

I am a solicitor and the maternity pay in city law firms can be very generous, it would make financial sense for me to make the move back, but work/life balance wise, I'd rather take the 36 hour week, flexi-time, options to do compressed hours etc.

Wish I worked for the civil service!

[homemadethings]

Lloyds banking group maternity

Hi all!

Does anyone know the maternity policy within lloyds banking group? I'd be so grateful if you can pass on the information if so.

Thank you!

[LouiseD29]

Mine is 3 months on full pay, then onto statutory. Poor to middling, from what I'm reading on here! Largish PR agency - middle management level (but standard package).

[Excited85]

Private distribution company, very high pressured sales position, SMP only and expected to be back working full time 12 hour days after 3 months max. Get a little when friends have been moaning about only getting 3 months at full pay, 6 months at half etc...!

[Sarahplane]

local government, 13 weeks full pay then 26 weeks smp. Have to return for 13 weeks or pay back anything above basic smp.

[Sarahplane]

civil service definitely seem to get a better deal than councils, not begrudging it just wish ours was better. my sister was on mat leave at the same time as me, works for nhs and got a better deal too. She was complaining about how she only got paid for 18 weeks. turned out to be 18 weeks full, then half pay for a while then smp.

[BlingBubbles]

I work for an HE college and we get 6 weeks full pay, 12 weeks half pay and the rest stat. But because I teach it works out alright with all the holiday you accumulate while off, so with dd I was nearly off for a whole year and was paid something for most of it.

[Creamtea1]

Wow I thought I got a good deal until I saw some of the packages on here!
I work for a massive computer company, think one of the big top 3 and you've got it. 18 weeks full pay then 39 weeks smp. And they think that is more than generous - not compared to civil service etc it's not!
I know one company (a rival massive computer company) who give a years full pay. Now that is surely unbeatable!
I can do 10 days keeping in touch and accrue all my holidays and take them at the end during the unpaid bit (ie so I get paid again) before I go back.

[HolidayArmadillo]

My friend works for a political party (one of the bigguns) and gets 9 months full pay.

[plinkyplonks]

26 weeks full, 26 weeks SMP

[Fairlygrounded]

Major automotive company - 12 months full pay - beyond amazing, am very fortunate.

[Kelly1814]

45 days paid leave.

45 days!!

from the day you finish, and includes weekends. i live overseas.

needless to say lots of people leave work altogether when they have a baby.

[Fairydogmother]

NI civil service - think its 20 weeks full, 16 half and then SMP but there's some sort of tax relief too

Annual leave can be carried over

Waiting to get the confirmed details tho on pay

[Fairydogmother]

O meant to say that my friend gets nothing but SMP when she's off which is rubbish

[Jenb1082]

Hi.

Could someone let me know how long (approx) you need to be with an organisation to be eligible for company maternity pay. Struggling to find this information online since every company is different, I believe.

Thanks

[espa]

It depends! It varies from one organisation to another. To be eligible for SMP you need to be there for 26 weeks prior to the 15th week before your due date. Some businesses might give you enhanced pay on same time served, others might want you to be there a year or even two.

[gininteacupsandleavesonthelawn]

IT Services company c.14,000 employees- statutory minimum (painful!)

[Kellyg789]

4.5 months full then 12 weeks smp plus none pension benefits

[Gennz]

I'm outside the UK (NZ) and work at a multi-national media company. I get the statutory minimum, which here is 14 weeks at about 14% of my usual net pay. Then I can take off the rest of the year on no pay.

It's shit!