Can anyone confirm how cr*p Mothercare are with mat leave?

[Moomin]

I was at a christening yesterday and talking to a lovely lady who's 5m pg and who works for Mothercare. I can't be sure I'm remembering right, as I had been wetting the baby's head very enthusiastically, but I'm pretty sure she said that for her mat leave, she gets 6 weeks full pay then ONLY s.m.p. until she returns to work. That CAN'T be right can it? It seems wrong to treat workers like this when they're getting so much money from selling baby stuff. Or am I just too naive?

That sounds like the minimum doesn't it Moomin?? It is pretty crap anyway (see thread on other countries) but considering she works for Mothercare ... blimey ...

I'm pretty certain that Mothercare probably treats its 'greatest asset' with the same sort of contempt that most other retailers and corporate bodies reserve for their workforces.

I think that statutory provision in this country is pitiful, and for a retailer that relies on pregnant women and new mothers as their customers to provide as little as that sounds disgraceful to me. Can anyone confirm?

If she's getting 6 weeks on full pay, then she's getting more than many of us who only get the minimum (standard) 90% of pay for 6 weeks.

This doesn't surprise me in the least... I gave up using Mothercare fourteen years ago when I found myself in Mothercare 8 months pregnant and desperate for the loo and there were no public toilets (and I was told to go up te road to M&S). It also bugged me that there was no chair to rest ones aching self on ... it seems like a basic thing in a shop teaming with pregnant women. Our local Mothercare may have changed but I avoided it like the plague with my second pregnancy three years ago because of the above. This maternity policy - if correct - is indeed disgraceful.

That is the statutory minimum. Well actually it's a bit more, coz the minimum is only 90% of you pay for 6 weeks then SMP.

Tesco are the same even if you've worked there for 20 years!!
And the company I work for (a large reputable Engineering firm) are exactly the same.

Crap, but reality unfortunately.

Ooops Gillw - didn't see your post, sorry.

Doesn't surprise me a bit about Mothercare - had consistently atrocious service in there whenever I've been. Trying to get a pushchair - knew the one I wanted - was told they wouldn't know when it would be in stock and that they couldn't ring me either . I'd have to travel to the shop every few days on the off-chance that one might be in. I was about 8 months pregnant. Another time, measured my daughter's feet about 6 months after previous measeurment taken. Told me it was a size smaller than she already had. When queried it, assistant just laughed and walked away!

Not at all surprised they're not generous with the maternity leave. When my mum was expecting (early 70s - presumably pre sex descrim legislation and maternity protection) she was working for mcare and got the sack for no better reason than being pregnant. That's care for you! Thank you all for reminding me - must take care to shop around and avoid them wherever possible.