Recently Married, New Job, babies - Help!

clarabell1984

I'm not very sure where to post this so all help appreciated!

I'm recently married (just over 6 weeks) so have all the possibilities of looking for a bigger house, having babies etc to look forward to.

My husband and I have talked about having a baby for a long time but wanted to wait until after the wedding. Now that we are married, and have a holiday in September, i'd be willing to start trying for one after that.

Thing is.... I've got an interview for a new job on Friday.

How long do you need to be in a new job before you fall pregnant to qualify for maternity pay? I've read something about 26 weeks but then something about 15 weeks before due date. It has left me all confused!

I'm not sure if i will be taking the job if I am offered it but would like to know where i stand on this before going to the interview.

I'm not sure if I am maybe better sticking out the job i'm in just now until we start TTC.

All help appreciated xx

AngelOfTheNorth

To qualify for SMP, you need to have basically been with the same employer since the week before your pregnancy begins.

https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility

That's what's meant by 'working for your employer continuously for 26 weeks before the expected date of childbirth' ie at 25 weeks pregnant.

Bear in mind also that pregnancy is considered to start from the first date of your last period, which in nearly all cases will be before you conceive. So on a classic 28 day, conceiving at about 14 days cycle, you need to have been with your employer 3 weeks before you get knocked up! This is just for SMP, the legal minimum though. Some employers offer more than that and they can put whatever conditions they want on it. So many organisations offer enhanced pay after a certain number of years service.

I would say at your age, unless you have any particular reason why you need to TTC asap, it's worth waiting to see if you get the current job. If you've been working and switch job during your pregnancy without having taken much time off inbetween, you'll still qualify for Maternity Allowance, but SMP is more money. Maximum SMP is 6 weeks at 90% of your salary then 33 weeks on £139 a week, maximum MA is 39 weeks on £139 a week, so if you're working full time the SMP will make a difference.

clarabell1984

AngelOfTheNorth wrote: »

To qualify for SMP, you need to have basically been with the same employer since the week before your pregnancy begins.

https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility

That's what's meant by 'working for your employer continuously for 26 weeks before the expected date of childbirth' ie at 25 weeks pregnant.

Bear in mind also that pregnancy is considered to start from the first date of your last period, which in nearly all cases will be before you conceive. So on a classic 28 day, conceiving at about 14 days cycle, you need to have been with your employer 3 weeks before you get knocked up! This is just for SMP, the legal minimum though. Some employers offer more than that and they can put whatever conditions they want on it. So many organisations offer enhanced pay after a certain number of years service.

I would say at your age, unless you have any particular reason why you need to TTC asap, it's worth waiting to see if you get the current job. If you've been working and switch job during your pregnancy without having taken much time off inbetween, you'll still qualify for Maternity Allowance, but SMP is more money. Maximum SMP is 6 weeks at 90% of your salary then 33 weeks on £139 a week, maximum MA is 39 weeks on £139 a week, so if you're working full time the SMP will make a difference.

Thanks so much for your help, this is a bit clearer for me now!

The company that I work for at the moment have no additional maternity benefits and the company that I could be potentially moving to won't either i don't think as they are just a small business. I don't know alot about the job really, just that it pays around £2000 per year more than i get just now.

Neither of them are what I would call a career but i have been here for 2 and a half years so wouldn't want to move if legally I wouldn't get SMP at anew job as we wouldn't be able to pay the bills without it x

fierystormcloud

clarabell1984 wrote: »

I'm not very sure where to post this so all help appreciated!
I'm recently married (just over 6 weeks) so have all the possibilities of looking for a bigger house, having babies etc to look forward to.
My husband and I have talked about having a baby for a long time but wanted to wait until after the wedding. Now that we are married, and have a holiday in September, i'd be willing to start trying for one after that.

Thing is.... I've got an interview for a new job on Friday.
How long do you need to be in a new job before you fall pregnant to qualify for maternity pay? I've read something about 26 weeks but then something about 15 weeks before due date. It has left me all confused!
I'm not sure if i will be taking the job if I am offered it but would like to know where i stand on this before going to the interview.
I'm not sure if I am maybe better sticking out the job i'm in just now until we start TTC.
All help appreciated xx

So you're planning on starting a new job, but trying to find out how soon you can leave and claim maternity leave?

Are you for real?

Are you planning on telling the people this at the interview? That you intend to leave, and milk them of maternity pay as soon as you are legally able to do so?

I am glad you're not coming for a job at our company.

I think I'll go get some popcorn. :cool:

clarabell1984

fierystormcloud wrote: »

So you're planning on starting a new job, but trying to find out how soon you can leave and claim maternity leave?

Are you for real?

Are you planning on telling the people this at the interview? That you intend to leave, and milk them of maternity pay as soon as you are legally able to do so?

I am glad you're not coming for a job at our company.

I think I'll go get some popcorn. :cool:

I am only finding out for the reason that this may happen. I don't plan to put my life on hold for a new job, as i said it is not a career. I don't see what the difference is between falling pregnant in a new job and getting SMP and staying in the job i'm in and claiming SMP???

I'm not saying that it will happen straight away, I could be there for years but they have head hunted me and I fully plan on being upfront on my situation - if that leads to me not getting the job then that's up to them but I don't see why they have the right to discriminate against a young woman wanting to start a family.

I'm not being malicious, it's just the way things have panned out so thank you so much for your positive input and enjoy your popcorn.

roses

I got married the month after starting a new job. I wanted to be in my job a year to prove my capabilities before getting pregnant. I gave birth two years into the new job.

May I ask how old you are and how important is your career? Do you intend to go back to work after having a baby?

Mojisola

clarabell1984 wrote: »

I don't see what the difference is between falling pregnant in a new job and getting SMP and staying in the job i'm in and claiming SMP???

Because you have contributed to the old company before taking maternity leave.

If you move to the new firm, they will have spent time and money on the selection process and training you for the job only for you to depart and they will have to start the process again with someone else. You won't be popular.

clarabell1984

roses wrote: »

I got married the month after starting a new job. I wanted to be in my job a year to prove my capabilities before getting pregnant. I gave birth two years into the new job.

May I ask how old you are and how important is your career? Do you intend to go back to work after having a baby?

I wouldn't class either job as a career. They are low paid administration posts.

I'm not sure my view on going back to work after a baby as I feel that the low paid wage may well out weigh childcare so I may not end up going back to work full time or at all if we can afford it on my husbands wage.

I will be 31 this year so don't really want to put it off too much longer.
I don't have much to prove, admin is admin, I've done it for 12 years

fierystormcloud

Words fail me.

clarabell1984

fierystormcloud wrote: »

Words fail me.

I wish they would.

my mother always told me if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all

fairy_lights

clarabell1984 wrote: »

I wouldn't class either job as a career. They are low paid administration posts.

I'm not sure my view on going back to work after a baby as I feel that the low paid wage may well out weigh childcare so I may not end up going back to work full time or at all if we can afford it on my husbands wage.

Well why not stay in your current job then?
It doesn't seem fair to take a job at a new company, (one you've already said is only a small business) letting them train you up, and then leaving for maternity leave, possibly never returning. Especially if the new job is not one you would even class as a career, let it go to someone who truly wants it.