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Original poster

Anyone willing to share info on their maternity package?

18 replies

KSal · 02/04/2008 09:46

I work in a senior management position in a small consultancy company and have been there for 8.5 years. The company policy on maternity is to give statutory. I have made it fairly clear to them that i don't feel this is sufficient and that i have every intention of returning to my role. I would like to go to them with an appropriate proposal, but i don't know what other companies offer.

Is anyone willing to share what their maternity package was, particularly for management positions in the private sector? any info about type of company would also be great if poss.

OP posts:

uptomyeyes · 02/04/2008 09:53

I'm a director in a medium sized family friendly voluntary sector organisation. From memory - last lot of mat leave was in 2006, I got 11 weeks full pay, 16 weeks half pay and then a few weeks at the statutory level of benefit. My standing joke in work is that I've spent 3.5 of the last 9 years on maternity leave.

They have always agreed to my part time returning requests and I currently job share at Director level (have done for 4 years) and our HR Director runs sessions at HR conferences on how companies can make job share work at the top.

I know I don't have the world's largest salary, but I think the other benefits - 6 days per year carers leave, mat benefits, pensions etc are good.

cmotdibbler · 02/04/2008 09:53

My company (medical manufacturing) only do statutory - but then in 10 years, only 4 women have gone on mat leave.
Friend works for major oil company, and as she'd been there 5 years, got 6 months off on full pay. Isn't it Ford where you get a year on full pay as they worked out that it was cheaper than rerecruiting ?

MrsBadger · 02/04/2008 10:07

Academic, not very senior (but all employees get the same be they professors or cleaners, so long as they've been working here 26wks):

Six months full pay (ie they top up your stat), three further months at stat, three further months unpaid, on the condition that you come back to work for at least 3 months afterwards.
Also big tax break on workplace nursery places via salary sacrifice.

jammi · 02/04/2008 10:18

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flowerybeanbag · 02/04/2008 10:30

Unable to share but just to add I have never worked anywhere which had a different policy for more senior staff. Anything enhanced was based on length of service only.

flowerybeanbag · 02/04/2008 10:30

That's private and voluntary sector btw

furrycat · 02/04/2008 10:43

I worked for a big publishing company and got 20 weeks full pay. They were crap at flexible working when you went back though!

mistlethrush · 02/04/2008 10:48

I work in a consultancy company - only get statutory, despite many competitors getting better (gave some info to Directors on standard terms elsewhere after I came back but before senior staff member left on mat leave - no changes implemented)

Original poster

KSal · 02/04/2008 11:01

thanks everyone, it makes sense that if there were any differences in entitlements, length of service might hold more sway than seniority. I will be the first person in my company to go on maternity leave, so both me and the company are feeling our way a bit!

OP posts:

fledtoscotland · 02/04/2008 18:05

i work for the NHS and we get 8 weeks full pay, 90% for 18 weeks and then smp for the last 13. the condition is you return to your job for three months after mat leave.

seb1 · 02/04/2008 18:11

I did work for a large manufacturing company, took redunancy while on mat leave. I got 6 weeks full pay then 20 weeks half pay, on return after 3 months 50% off the money lost during mat. leave as one off payment then after aonther 3 months the other 50% lost. so in theory if you took 6 months off then returned for 6 months you got full pay.

stripeybumpsmum · 02/04/2008 21:50

Actually you probably need to discount service as a factor since it is age-related and therefore discriminatory. Service in line with statutory regs is ok.

I don't think there is a 'standard' as such - companies determine policies based on what they see as a problem. If recruitment, return and retention of women isn't a problem, stat min prob the norm.

MuddlingThru · 02/04/2008 22:21

I am employed by a large wholesaler. 1st 3 months is at 100% pay, remainder of your time off is at 50% pay. You have to go back for a minimum of 3 months otherwise you have to pay back the enhanced pay.

I have just passed the 4th anniversary of starting with the company. I will be going on my 3rd mat leave in June!

StarlightMcKenzie · 02/04/2008 22:30

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Original poster

KSal · 03/04/2008 09:48

This is all really useful - i just want to go back to them with a reasonable proposal. Recruitment/retention is a problem in the industry at the moment(not for women particularly, but all round).

If they come back with statutory then that's the way it is, its not as though this was ever a deciding factor in whether to have a baby or not!!

OP posts:

latchmeregirl · 03/04/2008 17:30

Hi - I'm in exactly your position, senior management in a small consultancy. I've been here 6 years and have just come back after my second period of maternity leave.

I get no more than statutory pay and nor does anyone else - I'm fine with this as I've always known this was the case as it was set out in my contract. Also, in a small company (we're just 10 people) the financial burden of paying anything over and above statutory pay would be huge - there's just no way we could afford to do pay someone who wasn't bringing in any revenue.

There are a few tiny benefits - they pay your pension during AML and holiday continues to accrue, but it's pretty small potatoes.

I tend to think that the other benefits I've got(very flexible working, no quibbles about me returning part time, supportive environment etc etc) make up for the crummy pay. I've always been very impressed by my boss's willingness to make my return to work as easy for me as possible, and that goes a long way to make me feeling more kindly disposed towards him.

Surr3ymummy · 09/04/2008 12:19

sorry if it's a bit late, but I work for a blue chip company, and I got paid/am being paid the following:

6 weeks full pay
SMP for the remainder of 6 months.

then on return to work

25% additional pay for 2 years, based on your previous pay before mat leave, but pro-rated for current hours (I returned on flexible hours). The idea being you'd end up with approximately 6 months pay, but only if you stay back at work.

bertieboo · 09/04/2008 12:46

I work for a medium sized financial company in the City. I am the first woman who works here to have taken maternity leave.
The company policy was to give Statutory maternity pay, but i negociated with my boss that he would pay me in full on condition that I returned to work when my DD was 3 months old. As it happens I had a total of 4.5 months off on full pay as my DD was premature.
They also gave me the same bonus that I had had for the previous 6 months even though I hadn't worked.
They were totally unflexible about working hours and returning P/T due to my role.
The office is very male dominated and the hours and benefits reflect that. When my nanny was ill recently and I had to take 2 days off, rather than be kind they made me take it as 2 days unpaid leave.

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