Typical maternity packages?

[Claire19]

Hi everyone

Hoping someone can help me. I'm pg with first baby, about to hit 12 weeks and thinking about (and dreading) telling work.

I work in a FTSE 100 company which is v male dominated (I'm the only female manager in London office) in a male-dominated industry. There is NO protocol for maternity leave - my contract has 2 weeks paternity leave in it, as it's the same as other managers who are all male!

If I want anything more than statutory min I think I'm going to have to make them a proposal but don't know what other big companies typically offer, can anyone help please?

I'm not expecting a positive response as my boss is v traditional (thinks mothers should stay at home to raise kids - I'm planning on going back FT) and he asked me in my annual appraisal if I was planning to have a family (think that's illegal??!) I said yes possibly, I wasn't sure but 2 weeks later I was pg!! They've just given me pay rise and more responsibility. So I really need to be prepared to negotiate from a position of knowledge!

Any help v v gratefully received.

is it not in your contract if it is over the statutory minimum?

i am not sure if it is illegal to ask about your family - i think it is (certainly bad form and none of his business)

i would keep a log of any comments etc just in case

I work for a national company which says it has fantastic family friendly policies. Was a bit when I found out this meant I got the minimum required by law plus access to childcare vouchers... If its not already in your contract I really cannot imagine your employers giving you anything more than what is required by law - why would they ?

A FTSE 100 company that doesn't have a maternity policy at all? It might be a male-dominated company and industry, but with the size of most FTSE 100 companies there must be some female members of staff, even if they are secretaries or whatever, and someone must have gone on maternity leave at some point before now, surely?

Have you actually asked HR for the policy? It would be perfectly normal for it not to be in your contract, maternity entitlements and arrangements are more complex and extensive than paternity arrangements so are unlikely to be shoe-horned into a contract, more likely to be in a policy somewhere.

I work in the Finance Sector and the large companies vary hugely in policy. My last (very large) company just had the statutory minimum plus a one month 'bonus' that got paid 6 months after returning to work. BUT stuff like annual bonuses were honoured in full and not pro-rated if you returned pretty sharpish (eg within around 3-4 months). Current organisation offers 6 months on full pay but they claw it back if you leave within a certain period.