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Original poster

What kind of maternity deal does your employer offer?

89 replies

bubble99 · 04/04/2006 11:23

I'm interested to find out what maternity packages different employers offer? How many of you have had Statutory Maternity Pay only? If you've been paid at full or nearly full salary beyond the first 6 weeks of maternity leave has this encouraged you to return to work for the same employer?

TIA.

OP posts:

charliegreensmum · 05/04/2006 03:13

I got 8 weeks full pay, 16 weeks half pay and 2 weeks SMP, with up to 6 months unpaid after that if I wanted. Employer was extremely flexible during maternity leave (DS arrived 10 weeks earlier than expected!) and happy to add on oodles of accrued annual leave to the end of my official maternity leave. Had to go back full time as main breadwinner but have found employer very flexible and currently extending this with managers of my level and above with an organisational review of terms and conditions, will soon be able to work at home and set own hours of work (i.e. can leave early for DS's hospital appointments). I work for a large educational organisation and the maternity pay and flexibility are some of the main reasons I stay there.

CGMum

threebob · 05/04/2006 04:52

A teacher at ds's nursery has 3 children at the centre one in each room. It is probably the only job that would be worth her doing (presumably the places are heavily subsidised or free or she would be paying them to work).

Does your free childcare have a ceiling bubble?

Emma7 · 05/04/2006 06:35

Did not mean to sound ungrateful Uwila. I know I am lucky to get what I do. Just by what some people get (the govt worker in particular!)and I think the number of people getting 6 months full pay is surprising too.
To be honest I agree with the point made earlier that the way you are treated when you go back to work is more important - subsidised childcare, flexible working etc. More businesses seem to be realising this nowadays which will encourage more women back into work.

kid · 05/04/2006 06:48

It changes almost every year, it also varied betweem both my kids.

First pregnancy I got 40 weeks off, first 6 weeks at 90% of wage then 12 weeks SMP then no pay until I went back to work.

With my 2nd pregnancy (at a different job) I got first 6 weeks at 90% of pay, then 18 weeks SMP plus 50% of pay. I was then allowed to remain off work for up to 1year from the date of baby's birth but without pay.

FairyMum · 05/04/2006 07:12

We get 26 weeks 90% pay and when we return to work we get 200 pounds per month in childcare support. I work for an investment bank.

lovemygirl · 05/04/2006 08:58

I work for an education authority. We get 4 months full pay and then 10 weeks at £100 pw. Not bad but you have to start maternity leave at 32 weeks. I was glad dd came a bit early!!!!

lovemygirl · 05/04/2006 08:59

They would keep my job open for a year - no childcare contributions though and full time nursery round here is £1000 a month - back to work in a couple of weeks it is then!

gomez · 05/04/2006 09:09

Local authority employer:

6 weeks @ 90%
12 weeks @ 50% plus SMP
6 weeks @ SMP only

then additional maternity leave with nil pay.

Need to return for 3 months or repay the 12 weeks at 50%.

lazycow · 05/04/2006 09:23

90% of salary for 6 weeks, SMP for the rest of the 6 months and another 6 months unpaid (standard really)

I have to say despite the lack of any extra money, the company I work for has been brilliant. They are a small company (10 employees) offering business services to other companies and the whole thing is based on the emplyees and their relationships with clients and the loss of a senior member of staff for a
whole year really affects business. I can see how difficult that is for them.

They got in maternity cover and kept her on after I came back so that I could work part-time (3 days a week). My job is difficult to do in 3 days a week but my boss is fine about it.

Also they offer a scheme whereby you can get between 22-40% discount on nursery care depending on the level of tax you pay. Though in the end I chose a childminder another employee uses this and it makes a big diffference to her childcare costs.

It is close to home (15 minutes drive) and I can work from home if ds is ill etc. They are very flexible and understanding. Leaving on time is no problem etc. In this industry all this is very rare (in the past in other companies I regularly worked 12 hr days 6 days a week) so that alone keeps me here.

blueshoes · 05/04/2006 09:34

Private law firm.

Monetary maternity benefits (if employed for more than a year) come up to about 6 months' full pay (if return to work for more than 3 months) comprising:

6 weeks' lump sum
6 weeks full pay
SMP for remainder of 16 weeks
8 weeks if return to work for 3 months
Pay in lieu of annual leave (which continues to accrue during maternity leave)

Plus:
Bonus continues to accrue during maternity leave
Employer pension top up for 6 months
Right to take full year off with job protection

It sounds generous, I know. But I had a shocker of a time when I applied for flexible working on return.

Twirl · 05/04/2006 09:46

6 months full pay; 6 months unpaid. If I leave after additional maternity leave then have to give 6 weeks notice or pay back 3 months money. I'm really pleased with my deal.

mojomummy · 05/04/2006 09:48

I think we are 100% for 6 weeks, then 90%, then then £100 a week deal.

BUT we also get a 25% UPLIFT to our return salary for 2 years . I understand this is being reviewed though - & you only qualify if you've been with the company for 5 years.

ItalianJob · 05/04/2006 09:49

I had SMP only. I was a solicitor, working for a medium sized commercial firm. Having SMP only encouraged me to think that my bosses were stingy, and didn't exactly promote loyalty!

I agree with others that free childcare is enough to outweigh that you're only paying SMP.

Florizel · 05/04/2006 10:35

I'm an independent school teacher. Had a pretty good deal as my babies were both born in the autumn and I took 10 months off for the first and a whole year for the second. It worked out that I went back to work for a whole academic year between them.

Money was SMP, so not too bad, but I also got paid in full for the long summer holidays when my maternity leave was technically over, though I was not back at work yet.

My DDS' lovley nursery takes up nearly all my salary now though!

lionhearted · 05/04/2006 10:40

Same as Hunkermunker minus London Weighting (cos clearly when you have a baby you have your lying in outside of the capital, in some cheap rural idyll!).

traceyshep · 05/04/2006 10:50

I got 6 months full pay, then could have had 6 more months unpaid - but I went back to work. If I'd chosen not to return at any time I would just have given the normal 1 months notice, and wouldn't have had to pay any money back. I thought this was a very good deal especially as I work for a small software company with < 20 employees!

allyco · 05/04/2006 12:02

same as Italian Job (and I thought only my boss was stingy!).

See, all solicitors aren't desperately wealthy (although my boss is, prob cos his maternity deal is crap).

AND he thinks I'm ging back after three months. Hah. I'm having six thank you very much.

AND. AND. I found out the (male) locum he is employing while I'm off is going to earn TWICE what I get. Tht can't be fair....

soopermum1 · 05/04/2006 12:26

6 months full pay then 6 months unpaid it's one of the things that keeps me at the job, in case i want another baby. was lovely not suffering financially when on maternity leave, which is just as well as i earn twice what DP does

suzybow · 05/04/2006 13:46

Allyco, under Equal Pay law, men and women doing equal jobs have to be paid the same. When I went on maternity leave I found out (in a very roundabout way) that the guy covering my job was being paid more than me, I complained to our Human Resources department and they promptly gave me a pay rise to match his salary! (they must have been scared of a potential tribunal hearing??) - it might be worth you doing the same?

oooggs · 05/04/2006 14:50

Yes bubble only accrued leave during the 6 months paid as you can't accrue anything when you are on unpaid leave.

I can also take a career break of up to 5 years unpaid.

And subsidised child care fees on returning to work

suecharlie · 05/04/2006 15:03

I work for a small company, got 6 weeks 90% pay and then stat pay. The plus side is that I can return to work on a vety flexible package so am working 1 day perweek from next week for 1 month, then building it up to 2 days for a month, then three days etc. Will be working 3 days per week in the summer but can take one day holiday so will get paid for a four day week. SOunds very complicated but am pleased with the flexibility we have negotiated!!!

Donk · 05/04/2006 15:45

Too right, many school are hopeless at job shares - I am starting to look for work and applied for the second 'half' of a job share - it would have been one day a week. The school (Which had better remain nameless) did everything in their power to avoid having a job share - only advertised it after the unions got involved. Initially the Head had turned the request down flat, without even taking it to governors.
Then it was advertised for an teacher of 'A' level chemistry (despite there being no 'A' level work involved) with a one week deadline from the initial appearance of the vacancy in the Local Council Bulletin.
This was (after more Union pressure) readvertised for a science teacher with a 2 week deadline, to start ASAP (so I applied, being a Physics/Science teacher)
I heard nothing for months - then invited to interview, where I saw only the head and the HoD, and was escorted firlmly away from the staff room.
They said they would be in touch. Two months later they invited me to teach a lesson to half a class (normal procedure). The class teacher had told one half of the class to come to the room I was in.
The HoD changed this to the other half of the class - then when I finally managed to talk to the member of staff wanting the job share (the lab technician took me through whilst the HoD was not around), I discovered the history....... and that the class had just done the lesson I was going to teach.
By this time I was so rattled that I taught (I admit) a less than wonderful lesson. - tbh was rather glad not to get the job as the politics around it all was horrendous!

minxymama · 05/04/2006 15:49

I work freelance, but spend a lot of time with a large publishing company. Women with 2 yrs + service get 12 months on full pay and about £100/month towards childcare costs on their return to work if they use a registered provider.

I didn't get a penny with DS as HR dept here got in a muddle as I am considered casual staff and midwives also v confused about my employment status. By the time I realised the cock-up DS was here and I missed the 6 week deadline.

So this time I have been standing over the HR dept with a big stick

Just found out today that I will get 6 weeks at 90% of earnings and 20 weeks at statutory pay. Hurrah!

Wordsmith · 05/04/2006 16:11

I'm v. jealous of all of you people who get all or part of their salary. I am self-employed and get £106 (I think) a week for 6 months. That's it. Not complaining through - obviously as I am not an employee I don't get any employee benefits. But pregnancy is one of the times I wish I was employed! (and when I contemplate the state of my pension so-called plan)

Coriander73 · 05/04/2006 16:44

With DD I had 6 months full pay with a further 6 without (which I couldn't take for obvious reasons). With the next baby (due Sep) I'll have the same benefits.

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