Maternity Pay - Private Sector

[mumu75]

Hi
I was wondering what the average full pay maternity period is for those working in the private sector?

Most of my friends work in the public sector - schools - and have said that they are entitled to 6 months full pay, then it's staggered to half pay, then SMP.
My employer ( a wealthy property estate - where I have worked just over 10 years) offers 6 weeks full pay, 10 weeks half pay then it's Enhanced SMP for 23 weeks. I was told by the Payroll that this is a very generous package. Personally, I was quite surprised at how poor the package is, but I'm not sure what other people are getting so it's hard to judge.

Can anyone working in the private sector give me an idea of what Maternity packages are out there please?

Massive multinational business. SMP only. Absolutely crap (esp given our sector!) but it is what it is. Anything over SMP is generous IMO.

Huge American firm which took over a small company. SMP! You have a generous package

Very big international engineering company (was FTSE 350 before a merger). In UK its 24 weeks at 90%, then SMP. I always thought that was amazingly generous and I think they plan to reduce it to 12 weeks now.

I'm a teacher and I got 4 weeks @ 90%, 12 weeks at half pay and the rest SMP. I've not heard of anyone in a state school getting 6 months full pay.

I have a friend who works for Deutsche bank who did get six months full pay. I assume because German maternity benefits are generally better?

I'm Local government (been with them for a decade so on old t&c's) 26 weeks at 90% pay them 13 weeks stat pay!

Most of my friends apart from nhs staff only got the minimum their jobs ranged from supermarket to top sales staff

I think I got a good deal to be fair, yours sounds quite good too

Professional services SME.

90% for 6 weeks 60% up to 26 weeks then SMP

Mine was similar to yours, OP. It's pretty good.

I work for a plc listed on the stock exchange and get SMP only. Anything better than that is very lucky in the private sector.

Anything above SMP is the company giving you free money, surely you should be happy with anything?

I got SMP.

Both DSISs are NHS and I am jealous. But only of their maternity pay, not their actual jobs.

Just be grateful you're not in the US!

territ that's a bit like saying you should be grateful for anything above minimum wage?

I get 20 weeks full pay, then SMP, which is pretty good.

Your public sector friends sound very, very, very lucky.

Your package is almost identical to the one I had in the public sector. Your friends are very lucky. Or we are all very unlucky compared to places like Sweden and Germany.

Large high st retailer , management level = SMP.

wow, I am very lucky then

9 months full pay

repayable if you dont return to your previous hours for 6 months

VSH, does that mean that you pay back 50% of enhanced pay if you return 2.5 days per week?

as I understand it Yonic, yes

but I havent really looked deeply into it yet

minipie - its Nothing like that at all.

what you earn above Minimum wage is what your worth and the time you put in.

Anything you get given by a company above SMP is the company giving you free cash without you earning it, so yes you should be thankful for that.

Territt - it's part of terms and conditions, employers balance all these out - some offer BUPA and others don't, for example. It's not something to be "thankful" for.

I work in the public sector and currently on Mat leave... I'm entitled to 6 weeks at 90% pay, 12 weeks at 50% pay, then smp. 6 months full pay would be lovely!