Maternity Pay

I get 26 weeks at 90% of my average pay ( commission based) then rest is statutory. My company only changed this in 2023 so I got pregnant just at the right time! More and more companies are wanting to attract women so it’s becoming the norm. I’m not sure I ever would have got pregnant if they didn’t offer this.

I am really sorry to hear your company doesn’t offer any more maternity pay, I was in a similar boat during my first maternity, try not to allow it affect your maternity leave so much. My current company offers 4months full pay, 4months half pay then 7weeks of SMP and the rest unpaid.

I’m getting 3 months full, 3 half, 3 statutory then the last 3 unpaid. Hope you manage to talk them round to offering more.

My current employer offers 16weeks full, 16 weeks half before moving to statutory/no pay which is competitive within the industry I work. My previous company (different industry) was 26weeks full pay which again was competitive within that market. So you’re probably best doing a competitor analysis to have the biggest impact (although they’re most likely to already know this and just not prioritising yet) Most large companies have gender equality targets and the maternity offering is one lever to supporting this so it depends how serious they are about Equality. Does your company have any colleague networks supporting gender equality/working families? That will likely have a host of people that would support, you could request to start one on your return to help spearhead changes but they’re often voluntary on top of your day job and again it depends how seriously they’re willing to take it x

I didn't get any top up from my work, as I haven't been with the company 3 years which I think is stupid

I get 22 weeks full pay and then it’s statutory. That’s terrible they are a big company with a lot of money and have such a shite maternity package! Or none at all. X

Hi, where I work I get 6 months full pay, then 3 months SMP and then 3 months nothing. Men also get the 6 months full pay which came in about a year or so a go. Get as many people to support you as you can in raising this and good luck x

When I went off to have our first they asked what they could do to improve company benefits and someone said review mat pay. I ended up with 10 weeks full pay and then the rest statutory up to 9 months. Still not fantastic but better than what it was. They are however great when it comes to flexible working requests and I had no trouble returning part time. Some companies will just outright say no.

My company offer 12 weeks full pay 10 weeks half pay and statutory for the remaining 17 weeks of paid leave

I got 18 weeks full pay and then 21 weeks statutory. I work in public sector.

I get 6 months full pay, 3 months half pay and the last 3 months are statutory. It’s an unusually good policy!

I would go in with a big ask and leave lots of room for negotiation!

I got one week full pay (as I had one full years service so would have been more if I’d worked there longer) then SMP…. Luckily my partners salary covered our bills so I could still take 9 months off but they really don’t make it easy

I got 3 months full pay plus accrued holiday working out at 4.5 months full pay the rest statutory and I work for a charity!

I also work for a very large and well known company in Telecoms and they offer: 18 weeks full pay 8 weeks half pay 13 weeks government statutory 13 weeks equivalent to statutory So paid something for the entire year. They offer this to Parents not just maternity so anyone having a child can take this amount of leave. It’s a great policy really, I couldn’t do it on basic statutory! Good luck with your negotiations x

Wow I can’t believe how great maternity pay is for most of you!! I work for a very well known football club and I’m amazed that they do the bare minimum for staff in various ways. I’ve been told they can’t enhance the maternity pay above the statutory amount as this will make it better than sick leave 🤷🏻‍♀️ I had a meeting with HR yesterday about something else and mentioned mat pay, she said nothing will be changed before I go off on maternity leave. I only got sight of the policy last week while on holiday, even though I’ve been asked for it for months. I feel very undervalued as an employee but also feel in 2024 employers should be looking after women in a much better way. Thanks for your comments and advice, it’s been a really stressful time to try to navigate being pregnant in a high level job and no support. When I told my employers I was pregnant the COO informed me he would be pleased if I left the business, which wasn’t the response I expected.

I work for a local authority. 6 weeks at 90% 12 weeks at 50% Then 21 weeks SMP

I work for M&S and they have only just changed theirs to be a bit better! So I get 6 months full pay, 3 months SMP then if I wanted longer I could take 3 months unpaid! It used to only be 3 months full pay then the rest SMP and I’d have absolutely not have been able to be off as long as I am now if that was the case! Hope you manage to make a change 🤞🏻

I'm soo lucky to work in my company that gives me 9months full pay and then the remaining 3 is unpaid

@Maha wow that’s amazing!! I feel so undervalued with the statutory pay my company provides. It’s like women just don’t matter and all the hard work I do for the club is undervalued.

Work for the nhs so I’ve got equal average pay so it’s work pay and maternity pay spread out over however long I’m off I’ve done 10 months so average maternity pay is between 1700 and 2000 after tax

There is no requirement for maternity pay to be equivalent to sick pay, not sure what they're going on about there.

@Tamsin I didn’t understand why sick leave was brought into it. I was told that as sick leave is at manager’s discretion until an employee has worked one year maternity leave couldn’t be at a higher rate. Why not just fix the sick leave policy too???!!

They don't have to be in line with each other, they're just coming up with excuses. Sorry you are in this situation.

HR are useless they are there to protect the company not the staff. Also what the COO said, you can raise a grievance he definitely can’t say that especially when pregnant. Also massive Arsenal fan so hope it isn’t them, especially since the hoo ha they made about sanitary products in women’s toilets at the stadium x

@Tamsin I agree, they just don’t value staff, it’s frustrating to be trying to get this all sorted!

@Sinead I’ve spoken to a solicitor and been advised to raise formal grievance. I just hate having to deal with this all, I just want to do my job, do it well but also be respected and recognised for the hard work I do for them. HR just don’t care, I came away from the meeting yesterday feeling so demoralised. It’s not Arsenal but another big club that also provide free sanitary products for women! Football is so misogynistic, I’ve worked at various clubs and they are all the same.

I haven't worked in my job long enough so I'm stuck on Mat Allowance. This isn't financially viable for us so I'm only taking 1-2 months maximum off work

@Samantha I’m sorry to hear this. I’m 2 years in my role so entitled to what the government state is the minimum but I feel that a big football club that pays players millions should be doing more for their female staff on maternity leave.

According to this 74% of private sector organisations offer enhanced maternity pay: https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/enhanced-maternity-pay/

@Tamsin I contacted them at the start of September after the comments I received from COO but they were closed until October!

Update I reviewed the maternity policy as asked by CEO. Used information from Pregnant then screwed, other football clubs, information you ladies have shared and what is required by government. Was sent an email yesterday by new head of people to say I had no business in doing that, basically called me a liar for saying the CEO asked for my opinion, told me there would be no change to the policy in time for my maternity leave and I was to stay out of it basically. I obviously replied explaining what I’d been asked to do and justifying my reasons for the proposals I included. I feel so disrespected, undervalued, spoken down to and really upset. The minimum wage is approx £1700 a month, I’ll be on £736, while I usually earn £6250 monthly before tax. So I’ve decided I will attempt to find a new job whilst on Mat leave, why give my all to a business that doesn’t value women and has made my pregnancy incredibly stressful.

I am so sorry you have to go through this. Women we deserve so much better, pregnancy is difficult enough, we shouldn’t have to worry about affording bills after having our babies as well.

@Ema thank you. I feel the hassles I’ve had in work, including extreme stress and long hours, and the ongoing attempts to get those higher up to listen have really put a dampener on my pregnancy. I worked 16 hours yesterday at nearly 7 months pregnant as we had a match day. I’m absolutely exhausted today. I really just can’t believe how badly I’ve been treated. I thought I’d stay in the same company for many years but I just don’t want to give all my loyalty, experience and expertise to a place that has treated me so badly. The financial stresses are huge, but they just don’t care about that. It’s been confirmed today that even though I was asked to review the policy and make a proposal they aren’t going to change from statutory maternity pay only.

They sound like a shocking company to work for. Why should you write a proposal for them when they’re treating you so badly when pregnant?

@Clare I thought it was a way of instigating change as the CEO asked me to when I spoke with him about whether he knew what the maternity policy was when meeting him about another matter. I’m not going to say no to the CEO! Before all of this I thought I’d be working there for a very long time. I’ve a senior management position in a top football in the company, not many women have the role I do in football across the country: my recent treatment has opened my eyes

I am so sorry, 16hours and 7months pregnant is crazy. I have worked many match days and I know how full on they can be. If they are being this difficult now, I wouldn’t imagine them being flexible after having baby either. The money sounds great but every working mum needs a flexible job who is understanding.

Your demanding job sounds similar to mine, I work in excess of 60 hours a week and earn similar money to you but commission based in a male dominated field. Maternity pay only changed last year after lots of pressure and feedback on employee annual survey. They employed a new head of HR she was fantastic and made really great changes, almost too good as the men clearly didn’t like her strategies and pushed her out as she was too forward thinking for their backwards ways. I’ve requested flexible hours and the changes they’re trying to make to my commission structure is unbelievable, I’ve got ACAS and my union involved they’ve soon changed their tune! Being a huge football fan I’ve worked out who you work for based on your match day and it not being Arsenal and to be honest I’m quite shocked as they promote to be a “family club.”

@Sinead they all promote being a family club, but I guess few of them are! I know MCFC maternity policy is 36 weeks full pay and they are very family orientated but my club has made it clear there will be nothing above SMP - and that’s come from the new Head of People!! I’ve spoken to my line manager and made it clear that if she wants me to return after maternity leave she needs to speak up on my behalf. Se has agreed to but honestly she is a wet blanket and never speaks up, she doesn’t have children and has been at the club for many many years so I can’t see her putting her neck on the line for me- but we shall see!

@Ema it’s not as great as other clubs to be honest, it’s probably half of what my peers earn in some of the other big clubs. The flexibility aspect is a concern for when I return to work, trying not to get ahead of myself at the moment and worry about one thing at a time. If I remain working there I’ll ask for flexible working but currently working ridiculous hours to get the work done so less hours working will out even more pressure on me whilst there. I reckon I’ll have to find a job in another industry.