Mat leave unberably low any help?

[Redcat007]

Hello,
We are planning a baby but I'm so scared because of the mat.
I work full time have quite a good salary . My company doesn't have any extra deal for the maternity :/ nothing in the contract...

this means after 6weeks my salary will be cut to 1/3 or less ! Is this legal?
Can I ask my employer to do something with it?
I am not on any benefits as we both work hard with my hubby.

Please let me know if there is any way to get more than £136 a week?!!

[janey68]

Agree, I think ML is very generous. It was 12 weeks when I had my children. By the time I had dc2, I could have had another 12 weeks unpaid (big wow!) but I actually returned after the initial 12 weeks. The advantage of a shorter maternity leave are that you don't get out of the loop with work and also your baby settles far quicker in childcare.
Like others have said , ML was actually the easy bit anyway... No commuting costs, in fact I took my car off the road for the 3 months first time round and saved a bit of car tax. No childcare bills. Loads of time to wander round the shops and find a bargain for dinner.... Seriously, if you're this worried about a few months on a reduced income then you need to redo your sums because it will get harder. Then the children get older, childcare costs drop and in the meantime you'll have gained promotions and kept your pension going... So it does come good eventually!
You mentioned a relative may childmind for you. Are you expecting them to do it free of charge? Even if you aren't going to pay them for their time, it's dicey to rely on that totally because circumstances change, grandparents get old and ill or just find other things going on in their life, and if the only way you can afford a child is by banking on free childcare forever then it's a risky situation

[MyNameIsKenAdams]

Have you calculated childcare? Smp may be equal to what you will earn after childcare costs.

tbh I foubd being on ML cheap. Saved lots on petrol not comnuting, had time to go to the greengrocers, aldi for food shopping, rather than being restricted to the supermarket on the commute.

[NorthernLebkuchen]

Tbh I think maternity pay is the least of your problems. More like the actual maternity bit. It doesn't sound like you want a child at all. I think you need to have a serious talk with your husband about this.

[SoonToBeSix]

Op there is no need to start benefit bashing " some people live of having kids and get all the wealth??? " you do realise maternity pay is a lot more than income support don't you .

[BrokenFairylights]

I earn a relatively high salary so when my employer 'enhanced' mat benefit ran out after 3 months I was only getting statutory maternity pay, then nothing for the last 3 months. A massive reduction of nearly 90% then 100% reduction. But I took the opportunity to be with my baby for 12 months as it's never likely to happen again and I just cut my cloth and topped up with savings. It's doable if you want to do it. A company cannot have a different maternity pay scheme for different employees an employment tribunal would wipe the floor with them if they did.

[flowery]

"A company cannot have a different maternity pay scheme for different employees an employment tribunal would wipe the floor with them if they did."

What are you basing that on? As I've already pointed out, as have others, there's nothing unlawful in operating different maternity schemes, whether it be for length of service, seniority/grade or similar.

[LauraBridges]

Yes, women on the board always get better perks including a BMW etc often than women who clean the office toilets etc. There is nothing unlawful in that at all. I am afraid life is unfair. Also there are lots of reasons you might benefit the baby and family by going back at 6 weeks. It is by no means clear cut. Missing 9 months of nappy changing is not something all fathers and mothers regret.

[CommanderShepard]

I honestly know so few women who got anything more than SMP.

Keep in mind also that more generous packages are not giving something for nothing: they very often/almost always stipulate that you must come back and work for x months/years after maternity leave or you pay everything you received over and above SMP back. For a friend it was 3 years. At least with SMP you owe your employer nothing at the end if you decide you don't want to return to work.

As to the different policies, I'm currently receiving a top-up to my salary as my company pays you more money when you come back from ML rather than during (I like it; makes returning an incentive rather than punitive). Because I've been with the company 5+ years I get the top-up for 12 months; anyone having worked less than that gets fewer months. It's no more unfair than me receiving more holiday than my assistant who's only been with us 6 months.

[Babyroobs]

My first 2 babies were born in New Zealand. I didn't get a penny in pay from the day I left until I went back when I got the equivalent of 6 weeks pay in a lump sum. I had to go back when my first was 6 months old and my second five months ( despite him being born 6 weeks prem). My third child was born here in the UK and it felt great to have the enhanced NHS maternity package.

[Bubblegoose]

I think the UK package is generous! 2 weeks maternity here then back to work you go.

[ItsATIARA]

Remember that you accrue paid holiday entitlement at full pay while on mat leave (I'm remembering from many years ago, so correct me if I'm wrong please). That's a healthy few weeks of additional pay.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Yes, that's right tiara. So OP, if you save up your current holiday and take that at the end of the maternity leave, you can get a bit longer off but be paid. DH cando the sane and he should also look at his work policy as Laura suggests because it may be better financially for him to
Take some of the leave.

[TheDoctrineOfSnatch]

Some companies (mine) have the same policy for all staff, others vary it with pay grade or length of device.

If you get any benefits I. Kind eg company car they continue throughout your leave.