How much maternity leave to have?

[Sophie_P]

Hi girls,
I know this is relatively early to be working out but i'm telling my boss soon and I know he will ask how much time I will be having off. Realistically, I can't have ages and ages off due to money but i'm worried I will feel guilty, and oh said my health comes first before work.
How much time did you have and what helped you decide? Thanks xx

 

[Rachel80]

I finished at 29 weeks. I had 2 weeks holiday & then started my maternity this week at 31 weeks. I commute into London & I couldn't face the trains any longer especially in this heat. I suffer from a chronic health condition & whilst I've been fine during pregnancy I didn't want to risk my health struggling unnecessarily. I'm taking nearly 14 months off because I can & I'll be going back when my lo is 10 months old x

 

[babybee]

Legally he should assume you are taking 52 weeks unless you state otherwise. And you can decide when you're on mat leave when you want to go back.

I'm in the middle of my mat leave and in total it will be 14 months. I never want to go back but finances dictate otherwise

 

[Brandykins]

I was going to try and work until 36 weeks, but by 34 I had enough and Dr signed me off. I've had a really good pregnancy, I thought I would be ok, but 3rd trimester has kicked my butt and has made me shattered I just need to sleep a lot. I'm getting really emotional. I've told them I'm taking the full year so that I have left my options open, but in reality I will be back before this and I just have to let them know 2 months in advance I think. Your OH is right about health coming first. Before pregnancy and first 2 trimesters I never took sick and I kept coming home in tears because of such a stressful job. My hubby made me see sense and made me realise I would never forgive myself if something happened. Hope this helps x

 

[Mummybexee]

I'm aiming to go off at 36 using 3 weeks annual leave ill have left so ill go off at 39- my annual leave works may to April so I'm lucky that's nearly the end of the year

Ill then have 6 months off- post birth- so when I leave ill have 1 month of holiday(ish) then 2 months full pay and 4 months maternity leave at stat pay

Then at 6 months hubby will come and take over the last 6 months on stat pay - then hopefully I won't be bankrupt by then

 

[glowing]

my mat leave officially starts at 38 weeks would love to take the year but realistically its looking like 9 months. I have however told work a year and if wish to come back sooner will let them know with plenty of notice.

 

[k8_005]

Iv told them a year but may go back sooner if money forces it. They have to assume you take the full 52 weeks but as long as you give notice you can change it at any point really to less also you can ask for flexible working when you return and you can also use annual leave before or at the end of maternity. Remember that you get 39 paid weeks of Smp and the rest of the 52 are unpaid. Some company's give you extra the first 6weeks are at 90% of salery and then I think 123 a week roughly. For me I'm lucky I get 14weeks full pay then stat mat then last three months unpaid. X

 

[Sophie_P]

I'm all confused with this maternity pay business, I don't know when the pay drops?

 

[glowing]

It depends on where you work, my last 13 weeks are totally unpaid. First 8 weeks are full pay plus smp, 18 weeks half pay and smp, 13 weeks just smp.

 

[Tarah]

Hi,

I'm hoping to go around 30-31 weeks I will only get maternity allowance . I more than likely wont go back as I'm hoping to get into university for next year September and MA will finish round about August, I was initially thinking of going for April intake but my baby will be less than 3 so don't think its a good idea. My oh earns an ok wage and pays most of the bills now anyway so we should be ok.

 

[Sophie_P]

I'm guessing work will tell me their in's and out's? I'm thinking six months off on maternity leave. Does this sound too short?

 

[babybee]

My first 12 weeks are full pay, next 4 weeks 80% pay, 23 weeks smp then last 12 weeks totally unpaid. I then have unused holiday from this year and bank holidays. Then im taking an additional 2 weeks unpaid leave. I'm total that brings me to 14 months. So it all depends on your employer really. When you tell them, ask them what they offer for mat leave.x

 

[Tarah]

Hi Sophie,

It depends on if your getting SMP or if the company you work for has a good maternity package the company my friend works for had a good one and she pretty much got her entire wages for the 9 months . If your only getting SMP then you will get full wages for 6 weeks and the get standard SMP which is £136.78 which is taxed . I think its a little unfair as its the same amount as MA but you don't get taxed on that.

 

[babybee]

Any amount if time is too short. There's never a right amount of time. Get as long as you can afford is my advice.x

 

[Sophie_P]

I do qualify for smp, definately. I'm thinking money wise I may have to go back sooner than I want but i'd be doing it for my little one at the end of the day.

 

[Rachel80]

My work pay me the following:- 13 weeks full pay, followed by
- 13 weeks 1/3 pay, followed by
- 13 weeks smp (which works out about £700 plus some work benefit payments I get) followed by
- 13 weeks no pay


I will then have 20 days holiday tagged on the end


All employers are different & it should be somewhere in a documented maternity policy.

 

[Tarah]

Does your company only give you SMP or do they have their own company maternity pay package?

 

[CARNAT22]

I've taken the full year + negotiated an extra 2 months.

I only get SMP so today is actually the last time I'll receive any money until I get paid all my accrued holiday in December. I have been on about £600 a month now since Jan which is a massively significant drop but going down to nothing is going to be awful...

I won't lie, it's pretty tight. My OH is self employed and work isn't always there (for example he's just had 10 days off between jobs)

We saved a lot whilst TTC and when I was preggers so I could take the full year, plus I am getting a new credit card to help with living expenses. I am getting one with 15 months 0% interest on purchases so I'll use that until I go back to work and then cut it up and still have 11 months to pay it off...

I finished work at 37w but had two weeks leave so my maternity leave kicked in at 39w.

James will be 13.5 months when I go back and he'll be with OH for a month or two until OH's trade picks up in February and then bub will be going to a childminder.

I am lucky in the sense that we could afford for me to have 14 months off with a few sacrifices [we cannot move until I am back at work]... I'd have hated having to go back when James was very young.

xxxxxxxx

 

[Sophie_P]

I have no idea. Maternity details are not in my contract x

 

[mrs_b_x]

Your employer probably has a separate mat policy which they'll give you, if not ask for something. I'm taking the full year off for sure and may not return full time after that. Because of where I work I get 6months full pay, 3 months half pay and 3months none. Hoping if we can start saving and save throughout mat leave that the months with no pay won't be too bad! Xxx