Work related/maternity pay question

[sparkle_bump]

I'm in the UK but work for a company with the main office in the US. I just had an email to say that they are treating the UK staff as they would the US staff so we will be paid for the first 3 months and then nothing.

I just wondered whether anyone else has been in this situation and whether they were able to apply for Maternity Allowance as well as their "contractual maternity pay"?

Just so you know, I've already been on the Citizen's advice site and even spoke with a rep but didn't receive much insight.

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can give

 

[IchigoMewMew]

Is that just what they'll pay you? You should still be entitled to SMP if you've worked for the company long enough. I work for the nhs, i get smp for 9 months and it gets topped up by my employer for 6 Months. I have to send off a MATB1 certificate from my midwife to HR by the time I'm 25 weeks pregnant

 

[sparkle_bump]

IchigoMewMew, thank you! I didn't realise I could still get SMP if the company are going to pay me too...I'll look into that because it really takes a weight off my mind.

 

[IchigoMewMew]

I think in the USA they only get what the employer offers ( if anything) so maybe they've got their wires crossed somewhere. Gov.uk website is really informative about maternity/paternity rights

 

[cnote]

I'm in the U.S., and I only get a month of paid leave! And that's with working in the public sector where we're suppose to have great benefits!

 

[PubMissus]

Yeah you should be entitled to SMP..

 

[cupcake23]

You will still be entitled to smp as someone who is paying tax/ NI plus the 3 months full pay your employer is offering

https://www.gov.uk/employers-maternity-pay-leave/eligibility-and-proof-of-pregnancy

This still needs to be paid via your employer though, so submit your matb1 form to be entitled to these benefits. It shouldn't matter they are a US company.

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/maternity-pay-and-leave

 

[sparkle_bump]

Thanks for your help ladies. I'll check out the links now.

 

[froggyfrog]

here in the us, employers arent required to give any kind of pay during maternity leave. It's completely up to them to decide.

 

[Kanichen34]

I work for a US company but UK based. I'd tell them it's bull and email them the gov uk links on maternity pay. I got paid for 9 months last time. There should be a written policy for EMEA employees. I suspect someone in the US office doesn't know the benefits we are entitled to here.

 

[floridamomma]

3 months is good as in the us they are required to keep your position for up to 3 months but you only get whatever pto you've accrued

 

[EverythingXd]

I would just check your employment contract to check whether it included more Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP) than they are now saying they will give you. If it says 3 months or is silent then that's all the company needs to pay you in OMP. If it says you are entitled to more, they can't change that on you now.

Regardless, as others have said you will still be entitled to SMP.

 

[bettybee1]

I don't qualify for any mat pay as haven't worked in nhs long enough.

I've been told I'll probably been entileted to maternity allowance so there's always that??

But I guess going from wage of 470 a week to 138 a week is a huge drop!!!!

 

[2ducks]

Ugh, I wish that the USA would help working moms who are contributing tax payers! Honestly if your working in the USA and get 3 months paid leave by your employer that is amazing. Most work places don't offer paid leave, women have to purchase short term disability insurance which I think is a little weird because having a baby is not a disability. Once I use my sick time I get nothing for the remainder of my prengnacy leave plus I have to pay in full for my families insurance premiums which will cost me about $1000/month.

I'm sure 3 months feels really unfair of you get more in your native country!

 

[PhoenixCT]

I'm in the US. You only get what your employer chooses to give you. In most cases you go on Short Term Disability and get 6 weeks (8 for c-section). They may pay you a % of what you normally make during that time. Not full pay necessarily.

It's one of the hot button issues during this election in the United States. We're very behind when it comes to parental leave.

 

[sparkle_bump]

Thanks for your all input guys!!!

I had spent a good morning gather all the info from the gov.uk website then they came back to me to say that they will pay 3 months but they are also aware of SMP which is being arranged so that's taken a weight off my mind.

There was absolutely nothing in my contract on this and before I got pregnant that put me in a weird position because I felt like if I asked then I would be treated a certain way because of their perception of how dedicated I am (maybe I shouldn't have thought that way).

 

[2have4kids]

When you operate business in a country you need to follow that country's rules. IE I flew Westjet to Gatwick and had a delay and they had to pay European delay fines to me because of the Gatwick delay even though they are a Canadian Company. In the USA women may get squat but if UK ladies are meant to get something through the employer that would be a very easy one to sort out. Your company can make all of the American declarations of we're not paying you anything but if UK standards require business to do something then they must follow the rules. Operating in the UK = playing ball, UK-style!

I hope the situation changes for American women with HC winning the election on Nov 9th.