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!

[gingerfluffball]

Another university employee here, 6 months full pay or 12 months half pay. Taking the 6 months and feeling v lucky.

[annienessy]

I work for a very well known private school in the UK and can you believe the school offer their teaching staff an amazing maternity pay deal (4 wks full, 2 wks 90%, 6 months half then statuary for remaining 6 wks) but because I'm not a teacher but a member of the senior support staff they don't offer me anything!! I get the government SMP (6 wks 90% then just SMP) I've worked for the company for 6 years but a teacher might go off on maternity after 6 months employment and still get this amazing package....

How can this be right to offer such a difference? The school couldn't run without support staff but for some reason my boss thinks this is ok! (Surprise surprise he is a man!!!)

Does anyone else work for a company that offer such a difference between their staff?

[Fuzzyduck21]

Large national company raking it in and still only get SMP. bit stingy!

[OhtoblazeswithElvira]

Local Government

6 weeks 90%, 12 weeks 50%, then SMP. You have to work for 3 months after otherwise you have to pay back the "extra".

It's interesting to see the variation between employers and I am and at how generous other public sector organisations are. I though there would be no difference with local government.

[User24689]

I work for a university too but I'm in Australia. 6 months full pay, 3 months SMP ( equivalent) 3 months unpaid.

[tindel]

I work for a large charity. I get 8 weeks full pay, 10 weeks half pay and then SMP for the rest of the time. Unless I go back for 3 months afterwards, I have to pay the difference back.

[Queazy]

40 weeks full pay, then smp. Public sector. My last organisation paid statutory.

[haggis81]

Big multinational. 39 weeks full pay as long as you've been there for approx three years (or just over two and a half at the point you get pregnant). Last three months is pro-rata depending on whether or not you're back up to full time after six months back at work, so you may have to pay some back. Pretty generous really but they need to hang on to more senior women.

[amyboo]

I work for the EU civil service. I'm very interested to read that UK civil servants get a much better maternity deal than us! I get 20 weeks full pay. After that if want to stay off I have to use parental leave. We get 6 months of that per child and it has to be used before their 12th birthday. That's paid really badly - equivalent of around 500 pounds a month.

[Bellabutterfly2014]

I work for a private company and its billy basic - 6 weeks at 90%, SMP for 39weeks plus any annual leave accrued before going on Mat leave.
They will however add all this together and divide by 9 months to spread out the crappy payments so that they are all equal.
They state they won't do this over 12 months as the last 3 are unpaid.
My due date is in November - fingers crossed there's some new legislation by then!!!!
We're just trying to save up as much as we can now and pay off our loan & credit card and hope for the best; I've also joined a Xmas voucher savings club, and put £15 every week on to a supermarket gift card in preparation so I am trying to prepare for it.

[chasingtherainbow]

Very jealous (but glad for you!) Of the great maternity packages here. .

Have had smp with first and now with this one due Nov. It makes things so much harder but I'm grateful as so many countries give their new mums bugger all.

[Breadwidow]

I was in one civil device dept for both pregnancies, and was very pleased with the package which was 6 months full pay, 3 months smp and then if you wanted a further 3 months of nothing. I've just returned to work after 7 months as I'm main earner but got a new job at another dept where it's 9 months full pay. Pretty frustrating as I probably will never benefit as think 2 dcs are enough, now that explains why so many of my new colleagues were open mouthed when I told them how old my DD was, & I feel like I stuck out a bit being so obviously sleep deprived as she's quite little!

[GuybrushThreepwoodMP]

I got absolute minimum from my last company but they were stingey bastards.
Now working in a public institution. 18 weeks at full pay them stat for 26 weeks. Not bad at all.

[Sansarya]

Large-ish charity. 6 months full pay, 3 months SMP, 3 months unpaid, plus 30 days annual leave to use up. Plus I had to return to work for 3 months after, though not for the same hours so I've dropped to four days a week. A pretty good deal.

I have friends who work for legal firms and their maternity pay is structured so that they get it as a bulk sum AFTER they've returned to work for 3 months. They apparently don't actually get anything while they're on maternity leave!

[flyingsprocket]

Large British company who've actively been trying to recruit more women into my role. I will only get statutory.

[lisaloulou84]

One of the worst packages from those I've read so far, I worked (didn't go back as the pay was pretty bad and wouldn't cover childcare costs) at the biggest make up brand in the UK in their marketing team.

6 weeks 90% pay
33 weeks SMP

And was told that all the things id done to try and progress to a higher position wouldn't be taken into account because apparently 'you're a different person when you come back'. Wasn't much incentive to return....

[Chchchchanging]

Wow some generous employers on here
I work for a large multi national retailer I. Senior management and it's service linked so as I have over 2 years it's 12 weeks at90% but if I do t go back for 13 weeks min I have to return it all and it goes to stat mat
Friend works for coca cola and gets 6 months full pay
Friend works for newspaper and gets stat mat only
Friend works for a huge retailer and gets stat mat only

[HelenF350]

I work in oil and gas and get SMP only.

[Debnew75]

Hi Folks,
Considering a job at BMI and want to know what their maternity policy is, wood tasking directly.
Anyone know?

[jmac88]

Does anybody know what happens if you have 2 jobs?

Both my jobs (for charity and nhs) say I am entitled to SMP only. So does that mean I can claim it for both and get £280ish per week rather than £140?

[helen1819]

Asset manager: 6 months 100% of base, 3 months SMP.

1 month full pay for paternity leave.

200 pounds baby bonus.

Pension contributions will be made in full for 9 months.

[Bluejayway91]

I work for a law firm in the UK. SMP.

Had I know sooner, I would have quit and gone else where years ago. I assumed as a reputable law firm there would be a better deal. Silly me.

No room for progression, no benefits, crap wage, too much work to handle, terrible moral.

I will be looking for a job once I return.

[charlotte2020]

I work for MOD.

6months full pay, 3 months SMP, 3 months nil.
There's a maternity network for advice and guidance and good support when you Return as well for your and your partner (if they also work there) to do flexible working, compress hours, work PT etc.

[lucymagoo]

A well known fast fashion retailer.
26 weeks of ordinary and an additional 26 weeks of leave