Enhanced Maternity pay and SMP -PLEASE HELP!!

[Missshiv]

Hi Ladies

I really hope you can help. I have recently found out I'm pregnant and discovered that the company i work for doesn't mention anything about Maternity pay etc in the contract. It is only a small business (5 employees), and it will be more than likely be my job to implement some sort of maternity pay/leave entitlement into our staff handbook as it is not something they will have had to deal with before (I am a senior member of staff in a management position and thought very highly of in the business- so hoping this could possibly go in my favor).

Please could you tell me what your company policy is for maternity pay and what you are entitled to, including whether you work for public or private sector. Once I have collated all the information I can then taken this to my boss to discuss what my options could be.

I would really appreciate as much information as possible so I can put the best case forward for a fair Maternity policy for our company ( I am the first female employee here and we are taking on another shortly).

Thanks in advance ladies

 

[MrsRH]

private sector with enhanced maternity pay
I get 18 weeks full pay then up to 39th week S M P
it's a generous package
so are your employers going to let you negotiate your
package?
x

 

[Missshiv]

thanks for the info! Yeah hopefully they will sit down with me and discuss whats what, as it is part of my role anyway to sort policies etc out for the company.

 

[Stacey_Ann]

Public sector, 26 weeks full pay, 13 weeks SMP, remaining weeks unpaid xx

 

[Elhaym]

Public sector - 6 weeks 90%, 12 weeks half pay plus SMP, 21 weeks SMP. Have to return to work for at least 26 weeks afterwards to get this though, otherwise its just the statutory 6 weeks at 90% and 33 weeks SMP.

 

[ZoMo]

Public sector, was 13 weeks full pay but last month turned to 18 weeks (too late for me) full pay, then SMP until 39 weeks with an allowance of up to 12 months off after the birth date.

 

[My_First]

Private sector, 5 person company, smp only. To be honest I know very few small companies who offer more that smp, however if you are writing the policy then I guess you could do whatever you like.

 

[Bernie16]

I work for a small company, in fact I am the manager. In our handbook we get SMP ad nothing else. I am the only woman of child bearing age to work for the company. On the surface the couple I work for were pleased for me, but in all honesty selfishness and their company took over. For months they told me not to worry about money, they would top up the SMP so I wouldn't struggle. I even refused a payrise this year based on the assumption they would top up my wages. Well the time came for me to leave work (9 weeks before my due date), I had two weeks holiday, then my 90% pay, then SMP at the standard rate. My 10 KIT days were used up before I even gve birth to my son, with no pay as yet, I was told a cheque would be in the ost but I'm now almost 4 months into my maternity leave and nothing. I also get regular phone calls about things they could really deal with in my absense.

I think very highly of the couple I work for and class them as friends, but business is business as they say and they are certainly not bothered about keeping their end of the bargain financially. My husband reckons they are banking on me returning to work early as I can't afford to live on SMP, which we can't really but I wouldn't give them the satisfation - if I could afford to have the full 12 months off I would!

Long winded reply I know, but I was in the same position as you are and truely believed working for a small family run business I would be looked after especially after 9 years of loyal service but it couldn't be further from the truth! I hope you manage to negociate a decent package but don't get your hopes up and let us know how you get on! xxx

 

[sapphire20]

I work for a small company aswell and only entitled to SMP with my last pregnancy!

 

[maisie78]

Public sector. 6 weeks 90% pay, 12 weeks 50% + SMP, then 21 weeks SMP. I have to return to work for at least 3 months after maternity leave or I have to pay back anything over SMP.

 

[Missshiv]

I work for a small company, in fact I am the manager. In our handbook we get SMP ad nothing else. I am the only woman of child bearing age to work for the company. On the surface the couple I work for were pleased for me, but in all honesty selfishness and their company took over. For months they told me not to worry about money, they would top up the SMP so I wouldn't struggle. I even refused a payrise this year based on the assumption they would top up my wages. Well the time came for me to leave work (9 weeks before my due date), I had two weeks holiday, then my 90% pay, then SMP at the standard rate. My 10 KIT days were used up before I even gve birth to my son, with no pay as yet, I was told a cheque would be in the ost but I'm now almost 4 months into my maternity leave and nothing. I also get regular phone calls about things they could really deal with in my absense.

I think very highly of the couple I work for and class them as friends, but business is business as they say and they are certainly not bothered about keeping their end of the bargain financially. My husband reckons they are banking on me returning to work early as I can't afford to live on SMP, which we can't really but I wouldn't give them the satisfation - if I could afford to have the full 12 months off I would!

Long winded reply I know, but I was in the same position as you are and truely believed working for a small family run business I would be looked after especially after 9 years of loyal service but it couldn't be further from the truth! I hope you manage to negociate a decent package but don't get your hopes up and let us know how you get on! xxx

Thank you for your reply, I am pretty much in the same position as you- its a family business (two guys who run it - hence why I think the Maternity policy was left out) I'm sorry your situation with pay didn't go as expected, have you spoke to them about it? I'd be going mad!
Hopefully once Ive got enough responses from different forums I can put together an average package that they will hopefully accept. No idea how people manage on just the SMP xx

 

[ArcaneSpark]

Private 14 weeks full pay and 25 weeks SMP.

 

[Bernie16]

I work for a small company, in fact I am the manager. In our handbook we get SMP ad nothing else. I am the only woman of child bearing age to work for the company. On the surface the couple I work for were pleased for me, but in all honesty selfishness and their company took over. For months they told me not to worry about money, they would top up the SMP so I wouldn't struggle. I even refused a payrise this year based on the assumption they would top up my wages. Well the time came for me to leave work (9 weeks before my due date), I had two weeks holiday, then my 90% pay, then SMP at the standard rate. My 10 KIT days were used up before I even gve birth to my son, with no pay as yet, I was told a cheque would be in the ost but I'm now almost 4 months into my maternity leave and nothing. I also get regular phone calls about things they could really deal with in my absense.

I think very highly of the couple I work for and class them as friends, but business is business as they say and they are certainly not bothered about keeping their end of the bargain financially. My husband reckons they are banking on me returning to work early as I can't afford to live on SMP, which we can't really but I wouldn't give them the satisfation - if I could afford to have the full 12 months off I would!

Long winded reply I know, but I was in the same position as you are and truely believed working for a small family run business I would be looked after especially after 9 years of loyal service but it couldn't be further from the truth! I hope you manage to negociate a decent package but don't get your hopes up and let us know how you get on! xxx

Thank you for your reply, I am pretty much in the same position as you- its a family business (two guys who run it - hence why I think the Maternity policy was left out) I'm sorry your situation with pay didn't go as expected, have you spoke to them about it? I'd be going mad!
Hopefully once Ive got enough responses from different forums I can put together an average package that they will hopefully accept. No idea how people manage on just the SMP xx

I daren't sayanything as it would only make it worse! I've gone from £400 a week to £134!!!! Thankfully my husband is on a decent wage but his wage has always been swollowed up by bills, which has never been a problem before. I will admit to having a mad panic every now and again about money, but the truth is you do adjust. Our son was in special care for 3 weeks after he was born with an infection which although very traumatic did help our financial situation as we didn't spend much money spending all day every day at the hospital. We have also made regular overpayments on our mortgage for the last 3 years and they will allow us to use this money to cover payments rather than ask for a payment holiday. We missed Aprils payment and will be missing July and possibly Augusts (depending on how we are getting on), this should tide us over till I return to work and will hopefully allow us to get a holiday in as well.

I think I am more disappointed and upset with my bosses for the way they have behaved - they should not have said anything at all rather than allowing me to get my hopes up, I wouldn't even know how to bring the subject up.

Don't get your hopes up though, I honestly never believed my bosses would do this to me, I wouldn't go back early even if I end up penniless - on principle! Also, I will warn you, I wouldn't, but I could have easily sued them for sexual harrassment because of my pregnancy, as I said before on the surface they were pleased for me but there were a lot of moans and groans along the way, I never actually officially gave notice of maternity leave, I worte my letter to the company, and the company's reply to me, kept a copy for myself and filed the other in my personel file (just in case). They avoided the subject for months and it was eventually discussed in a heated conversation a couple of weeks before I finished. They are and always will be classed as friends but even after 38 years in business have no idea how to deal with staffing issues - there feelings and opinions always come first - which is why they employ me I suppose!

Keep me posted on your progress - I hope you have more success than me! xxx

 

[frantastic20]

I work for a large charity (not the type with volunteers) and we get the absolute basic - 39 weeks SMP then nothing.

 

[Abz1982]

I work for a large global oil services company. We get only smp, adn the standard 90% for 6 weeks, then 33 weeks at smp and then the additonal time off unpaid.

Is rather crap