Is Statutory Maternity Leave sexist?

[Pregnantabroad]

Instinctively I feel like statutory maternity leave is sexist but I'm struggling to articulate my argument. Any thoughts?

I would say the rules around having to start mat leave if you are sick after x weeks are sexist too, as is it sexist to not count the two weeks (possibly longer) after birth as 'sick' pay. As you are not well enough to work, even if you arent technically 'sick'.
Especially as mat pay often starts at a % of full pay, whereas most (ime?) salaried positions offer x days of sick leave at full pay.

You can avoid taking the pay cut if you return to work.

The biologically-based requirement not to work (ie it's illegal for employers to let you work) is only 2 weeks for most jobs, but 4 weeks for certain heavier industrial ones. It doesn't count as sick pay because it's an absolute bar on working, whereas there is no such barrier if you are ill but decide to stagger in.

BTW, You can only be put on maternity leave earlier than planned if you go sick for a pregnancy related reason after 36 weeks gestation.

My mums company back in the early 70s didn't have maternity leave. If you took more than a few weeks off on sick pay you had to resign.

Sick pay is very low, nothing for 3 days then £88.45 per week a much lower rate than the £139.58 maternity pay.

I specifically mentioned salaried sick pay, not ssp - i know ssp is less.

Re two weeks/four weeks. How about if you have to have a cs? So signed off at 36w for, lets say spd, in a manual handling role. Must go straight onto mat pay, even if your company offers 100% sick pay. Four weeks on that til due date. Then you go two weeks over, then end up having an emcs. It is six weeks after that til you can continue a manual handling role. So 12 weeks on mat pay when you are too 'sick' to work. At which point your dp takes over the rest of parental leave, hunky dory.
But nothing can be done about those 12 weeks in which you were not paid the same as a male off for 12 weeks with a back injury

I would have thought that companies who can afford to offer enhanced sick pay would be the type of company that offered enhanced maternity pay, likewise SSP.

Also small companies can claim back smp but not sick pay so having maternity pay makes it easier on businesses & more likely to not think twice about employing women of childbearing age.

A male in the (male dominated) company I work for wouod get less than a woman on maternity for a back injury.

We are part of an construction industry insurance scheme called Welplan so they would get a bit more than SSP but not that much more.

But nothing can be done about those 12 weeks in which you were not paid the same as a male off for 12 weeks with a back injury

You are assuming a man would get paid. He may well get nothing beyond statutory sick pay. Being paid your wages when you are off sick is only a right if your contract of employment provides for it. Public sector probably will and larger private sector and white collar employers probably will, but don't count on it, or it being as long as 12 weeks.

It's not sexist at all IMO. If it's the man who chooses to take the parental leave he gets paid exactly the same statutory pay. This seems like a case of desperately trying to search for sexism where there simply isn't any.

Yes. As are smear tests, childbirth, contraceptive pills, abortions, miscarriages, periods, the menopause, spd, pmt, breastfeeding....

What is sexist is that the reason more women stop at home is they earn less than their male partner.

Are you suggesting that it should be illegal for women to marry men who earn more money, or have better jobs/careers than they do?

I earn more money than my DP but it will be me that's staying at home on parental leave as that is what I want to do. Sweeping generalisations are not always correct