What does everyone's Maternity Pay/leave look like?!

[Steph82]

Technically, I get nothing, except 12 weeks unpaid where they hold my job. I do have short-term disability insurance (which I pay for) that will pay out 60% of my income for 5 weeks. Since my health insurance premiums can't be deducted from my paycheck while I am not receiving one, I have to pay those too, which will wipe out most of what I get from the short-term disability insurance. It really blows compared to what most of you get.

I'm with you . Actually mine is a bit worse, as I only get 6 weeks short term disability and 1 week sick time. I don't qualify for the 12 weeks unpaid because we have less then 50 employees . I still plan to ask my boss for another 1-2 weeks of unpaid leave, just to make it to the 8-9 weeks total! I am very envious of all the UK ladies

 

[SparkleUK]

Wow some of those packages look great!
I'm hoping in the uk they pass that we get 12 months paid as Kate is pregnant! That would be nice!

I don't get any benefits unfortunately as our combined earnings are over 28k but defo factoring in child benefit!!

Good to know about ringing payroll before hand too for breakdown of monthly earnings! Gonna do that tomorrow!!!

 

[Koukla]

You UK ladies are making me cry inside. I get... nothing. With DS I worked full-time so I got 6 weeks of leave paid at 60% of my pay. Now I work part-time at a different job and I get nothing.

 

[babicyntaf]

Mine's 4 weeks at 100%, 14 weeks at 50% with SMP and then 21 weeks at just SMP. I can then have another 13 weeks unpaid if I want it. I'm a teacher in the UK so am thinking seriously about going back for the last week of term so that I get full pay for the summer hols. I'll have had 12 weeks maternity at that point. I honestly don;t think that I can afford to take any more time off - especially as my partner will be the main carer and I am the main bread winner.
I consider myself quite lucky as I haven't been in my school for a year yet. Luckily my LEA took into account my service (15 years) in an authority just down the road so I've qualified for the higher level of Occupational Maternity Pay.

 

[Jess137]

I get 10 weeks. And that's only because I have the extra time built up, it would have been only 6.

 

[JenX]

Technically, I get nothing, except 12 weeks unpaid where they hold my job. I do have short-term disability insurance (which I pay for) that will pay out 60% of my income for 5 weeks. Since my health insurance premiums can't be deducted from my paycheck while I am not receiving one, I have to pay those too, which will wipe out most of what I get from the short-term disability insurance. It really blows compared to what most of you get.

I'm with you . Actually mine is a bit worse, as I only get 6 weeks short term disability and 1 week sick time. I don't qualify for the 12 weeks unpaid because we have less then 50 employees . I still plan to ask my boss for another 1-2 weeks of unpaid leave, just to make it to the 8-9 weeks total! I am very envious of all the UK ladies

Blargh. That is crummy. I am envious of the UK ladies too!

 

[SparkleUK]

So USA employers don't provide maternity pay??

 

[JenX]

So USA employers don't provide maternity pay??

Some do, but it is far from standard. Many do not offer anything.

 

[CLH_X3]

3 months full pay
6 months smp
5 weeks worth of holiday
Then I can take the rest up to a year off unpaid

 

[BabyB2]

6 months full pay
3 months SMP (£135 per week)

then I could have a further 3 months on no pay, but I'm just choosing to take 8 months maternity leave plus about 6 weeks annual leave (full pay)

I realise that I'm very lucky!

 

[BettyBoop152]

I'll be getting £108 a week from the get go as I found out I was pregnant 2 days before I started for the company.. will only get government maternity allowance and £120 a mth Child Benefit.. it sucks big time because I have worked since being 15 and am gonna have to work right up to due xx

 

[Annie77]

I have the worst ever! I'm getting NO smp through work as they give all the staff a 0 hour contract, but I work 40+ hours a week.
So I get 6 weeks holidays on full pay, then 9 months maternity allowance which is £135 I think a week.

Go to direct.gov.uk and they will give you two dates between which all wages will be calculated and as long as you earn an average of £100 per week during these two dates you are entitled to SMP.
You eligibility to SMP is not based on your contracted hours but on the earnings that you have made. The reason I know this is that I have a second job on a staff bank which is zero hours. Unfortunately between dec and feb this year I only made an average of £22 per week so I don't get SMP from them.

From my main job I get full pay for 8 weeks, 50% + SMP for 18 weeks then SMP only for another ?26 weeks. I am hoping to take mat leave for 30 weeks then use annual leave to allow me another 5 weeks off and return in feb next year.

 

[skeet9924]

I'm in ontario canada..I'm getting 1 week holiday pay @ 100% then remainder up to my due date ( march 16th) at 90% ( only because i went on mat leave early). Then for my official matt leave I get 6 weeks 100% from my employer and then I get the rest of the year at 55%

 

[mardy]

I'm really lucky. I get 6 months full pay, 3 months statutory and 3 months unpaid if I want.

I'll be taking the 6 months, plus maybe another month and then get back to work I think. I really enjoy my job and our outgoings mean that we probably couldn't afford to take the drop in money for too long.

I hate finances - especially when it comes to babies, I always want to give them the best but at the end of the day that's not always about money anyway.

 

[babyface15]

I'm taking 4 weeks at 100% from my vacation leave then mat leave for a year which is 55% of 45000.
however, Canadian moms did you know that two weeks of our mat leave is unpaid and we only get 55% of our salaries to a maximum of 45000? so if you make more than 45k you won't get 55% of your full salary :S
my workplace doesn't do topups either unfortunately.

 

[RaisinKane13]

You girls are so lucky! I only get 6 weeks with no pay. Technically, I could get up to 12 weeks, but no guarantee my job will be there still

 

[Jess137]

You girls are so lucky! I only get 6 weeks with no pay. Technically, I could get up to 12 weeks, but no guarantee my job will be there still

As long as the company you work for has more than 50 employees, as long as you get your FMLA set up they legally must hold your job for 12 weeks.

 

[ecavey]

omg how are you english people getting such good mat pay??? over in oz we get 18 weeks from the government at minimum wage and that's it. but i'm lucky enough to work with a union so get 13 weeks at 100% of my pay. thing is hubby isn't earning so i'm shit scared when that runs out how we'll pay the mortgage.

i'm having a year off and then doing my 10 week prac to become a teacher so hopefully we'll manage...

 

[SparkleUK]

The difference between uk and USA/aus is crazy!!!
Glad I started this its interesting to read! Some companies should lead by dxple and all offer a great package! None of us want to get into debt for wanting time off with our babies, it's such an important time in our lives!
I'm dreading going back after 9 months but I guess like a previous post said-it's important to maintain a good life for baby too.

In uk you can also apply for flexible working or a phased return to work. I'm looking at phasing my return to work between months 9-12 on a 4 day a week basis just to ease myself back in!! Hoping it gets accepted!

 

[marymoomin]

I am extremely lucky. My company offered 18 weeks at full and 21 @ smp. They paid me off however and I got 3.3 yrs salary plus the contents of my share plan. I recently found out that because they did this I get maternity allowance which is £540 a month. It's worked out well but was a bit stressful for a while.

Ironically I worked for a US company in the UK!