Maternity leave will owe money if i don't go back to job

Viper_7

The government pays nothing - the working tax payers do

The rules are changing - but it's taken many a year for them to change.

I know exactly what it's all about having two children of my own, and we worked the system just like most people do. What I said right from the outset is that you should pay some of this back if you choose not to go back to work, but then everyone jumps on the passing bandwagon about women's rights.

I'd love to stay at home whilst my wife works. I'd always choose bringing up my child and not working and then paying someone else to do it, like the Government would like us to do.
Men have very little rights compared to women with regards to benefits and who is deemed the main carer, but as said that is changing, I was fully expecting the sexism comments and the "you try carrying the baby around" but hey ho.
People seem to want everything, a family and a career and a job on their door step, and two holidays a year and for everyone else to help them out.

onlyroz

Do you really want all the professional women to stop having children? Because if we do then this country's social problems are sure to increase.

We should be more like Scandinavia, where it is normal for *both* parents to take at least 6 months off (often at the same time), and then be able to go back to their jobs.

I'm having my second child in January, and we live in a 3-bed house with a large mortgage. When I go onto SMP my salary will drop to a quarter of its current level, and as the chief wage-earner in the household this is going to hurt. But why shouldn't I "want everything, a family and a career and a job on (my) doorstep"? Surely these are things that we all aspire to, and a child growing up in such an environment is sure to thrive better than one to parents who have never worked, and who live in small council flats with no garden.

Considering the little loyalty that most employers show to their employees (like in my last company, where they laid off people who had worked there for decades without a second thought), why should we be expected to be loyal to our employer just because we're having a baby. If the OP wants to move jobs after finishing maternity leave then why shouldn't she? I see little difference between leaving then, and giving the regular 1 months notice to leave at any other time. Either way, the employee has to be replaced.

barnaby-bear

curly_em wrote: »

who the eck do you think you are :mad: :mad: :mad: you are very rude and your post is unhelpful.

I want to work i and need to work just want a job closer to home that doesn't cost me £30 in petrol per week.

I think the point is you aren't being penalised. Your company voluntarily paid you above SMP to encourage you to come back but if you choose to take that extra money they have the right to expect it back or to go back to work in return.

tigtag02

Viper_7 wrote: »

The rules are changing - but it's taken many a year for them to change.

But not QUITE as long as it took for women to get the vote

surreysaver

onlyroz wrote: »

Actually, Viper, the law is changing, so that from 2010 men will be able to take up the unused (and paid) maternity leave of their partners. So don't pull out the sexual discrimination card unless you know what you're talking about.

First it was this year, then 2009, now 2010. Do you really believe they are going to do this? It should really have come in in 2003 when women got a year off.

crispeater

i've got 2 children and do a 60 mile round trip 3 days a week, my youngest is with a childminder and my 5 yr old goes to breakfast/after school club. i have to say i REALLY enjoy the 60 miles there and back because its the only time i get to myself and the only bit of blinking peace i get!! lol

pollyanna24

Viper_7 wrote: »

As a MAN, why do I receive nothing to bring up my child.
If I stay at home to bring up my child I would receive less than a woman would and does.
As a Father why if my wife cheats on me and goes off that I have to pay for her and my child and also have no access?
See it every day. This sexual discrimination card is old and is now being used as a weapon against men and society and that's really the sexual discrimination that is going on.

Can't be 4rsed to really get involved in this discussion, but just thought I'd add, Did you know from 2010, it will be possible for a woman to have six months maternity and then the MAN to have the remaining six months if the woman wants to go back to work.

I'm currently pregnant and intend to take the SMP. Why shouldn't I? I've ploughed enough money into the govt for the last 10 years, might as well get something back. And as for what the MAN in my life is getting, surely he's getting HIS kid looked after.

The men who don't have kids and resent this payment. There are plenty of other layabouts to resent who take more money than SMP!

surreysaver

pollyanna24 wrote: »

, Did you know from 2010, it will be possible for a woman to have six months maternity and then the MAN to have the remaining six months if the woman wants to go back to work.

A woman can legally return to work two weeks after giving birth, so this right to tranfer Maternity Leave should be available after two weeks, not 6 months. Also, for a couple to take advantage of this, the man will have still have had to work a minimum amount of time with his employer, unlike the woman. Hardley equal, is it? The trouble is, the consultation for this additional paternity leave was closed before additional alterations to maternity leave were made, thereby preventing equality.

onlyroz

surreysaver wrote: »

A woman can legally return to work two weeks after giving birth, so this right to tranfer Maternity Leave should be available after two weeks, not 6 months.

Agreed. My family would be much better off if hubby could take the bulk of the parental leave. A woman needs a certain amount of time to recover physically after giving birth, but after that I see no reason why it shouldn't be the father that stays at home while the mother returns to her job. If more men took extended parental leave then this would go a long way towards removing the bias against employing women.

Hubby asked his employer if they would consider letting him take paid parental leave and they as good as laughed at him. One particularly unhelpful HR employee said something like "men can start asking for maternity leave just as soon as they start having the babies". They're going to have to buck up their ideas soon though, because the law *will* change, even if it takes a while to iron out the wrinkles.

surreysaver

onlyroz wrote: »

My family would be much better off if hubby could take the bulk of the parental leave.

A lot of families would. It would also go a long way to closing the gender pay gap, as women would no longer be seen as the main carer.

onlyroz wrote: »

A woman needs a certain amount of time to recover physically after giving birth, but after that I see no reason why it shouldn't be the father that stays at home while the mother returns to her job.

I know I said two weeks, but you don't know until after the birth. If you have an unplanned c-section you would be off for longer than you might have planned to be. Then you have the breast-feeding brigade, which is where I believe the six-month rule has come from. But it is down to personal chioce - perhaps after 12 weeks the man could take the leave - 4 weeks for the mother to recover and eight for the notice period. That seems sensible to me.

onlyroz wrote: »

If more men took extended parental leave then this would go a long way towards removing the bias against employing women.

In fact, the excuse that a woman might take an extended period off would become obselete, as a man may well be just as likely. It will just be all employers who pay low pay can expect their employees to take a year off when they have a child whether male or female, and higher paying employers could expect their new parents to be back at work after a couple of months! I wouldn't be suprised that when the law becomes less unequal, after say 9 months, you will have more men on maternity leave than women.

onlyroz wrote: »

Hubby asked his employer if they would consider letting him take paid parental leave and they as good as laughed at him. One particularly unhelpful HR employee said something like "men can start asking for maternity leave just as soon as they start having the babies". They're going to have to buck up their ideas soon though, because the law *will* change, even if it takes a while to iron out the wrinkles.

So did I. My employer didn't laugh - they went to see their solicitors! Everyone except my manager agreed with me. Even after it all blew over, my manager confided with me that I should have taken it further, but he obviously couldn't say that at the time. These companies have equal opportunity policies that say things like "...we do not discriminate whether it is legal or not..." , but when it boils down to it is a load of b*ll*cks.