Coronavirus and Maternity Leave

bpurves1110

What does coronavirus mean for my maternity leave? We have lost so much time with family and attending educational baby classes. My partner is working from home and I would also be when returning to work (July 2020) this means my daughter would go from spending months only with me and her dad in the house to then being left with complete strangers in a strange place.  My work have also said it is unlikely I’ll have a job as I want to go part time and they cannot accommodate that. Im now stuck in a really difficult situation as permanent jobs are hard to come by just now, we will have bills coming out and furlough etc will likely be ending before I return. We tried looking at universal credit and were told my partner earns too much even though it wouldn’t come close to covering all of the household bills. I am stressing every single day and I feel physically sick thinking about how distressed my daughter will be being left with no one she knows. I seen a petition saying they are looking to extend maternity leave but I am doubtful this will happen and need to prepare for the worst case scenario. Any help or advice would be appreciated!

poppy12345

If you were planning on sending your baby to a child minder anyway, surely it's not going to be any different? I've not heard of any talks about extending maternity leave.

If you've paid enough NI Contributions from working in tax years April 2017 to March 2019 then you maybe entitled to New style JSA. It pays £74.35 per week for 26 weeks. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-jobseekers-allowance This is the only other benefit that you maybe able to claim.

EssJayD

Maternity leave wont be extended, it doesn't need to be so they won't even entertain the petition.

What was your original plan regarding childcare when you return to work?  Have you put in a formal flex working request?

Many, many thousands of people leave their children with other care providers, your daughter will be absolutely fine whatever happens. 

onwards&upwards

I’m sure whoever you choose for childcare will facilitate an introduction that will minimise the stress for your child.  Your responsibility is to manage your own reaction do that she doesn’t pick up on your anxiety.  

EssJayD

Another option is to put in for parental leave, essentially extending your mat leave for 4 weeks (the max you can take in a year unless employer agrees more).  It would be hard for them to refuse as you are off already and will be giving them plenty of notice and if they have handled the flex working request correctly you can argue it gives you more time to look at childcare (while you actually look for other work)

You can also ask if you can add on any holidays you have accrued but not taken to extend it even more.

bpurves1110

There wasn't plans of her going into childcare it was a family member who would have been caring for her who is now unable to due to the pandemic. The petition has already went to parliament its being debated in the next week or so. I had always planned to go part time but due to coronavirus my work is now a lot busier so they said they cannot have me part time. I have put in a formal request I haven’t had a response yet but my manager has already said it won’t happen. Leaving her in a nursery out with these circumstances would be completely different because we’d have time to get her used to it we don’t have that option. 

bpurves1110

Yeah I think the extension may be worth a look at, thank you! I’ve already added on my holidays etc so I won’t have anything more I can take. I’ve applied for jobs already but I think it will take a while to hear back because of the situation.

poppy12345

bpurves1110 said:

The petition has already went to parliament its being debated in the next week or so.

I've not heard of this. Do you have a link for that information please?

EssJayD

I think any petition gets debated once it reaches a certain number?  It wont be entertained, there is zero chance of them paying women an extra 3 months maternity pay, there is no need.

By the time comes it may be the case that your relative can look after your child.  

In the meantime it might be worth pushing the flex working, an employer simply saying "we're too busy" and refusing (if they do that) isn't a good enough consultation/process they need to have a good reason for refusing and open up a dialogue to discuss alternatives, options etc.  You can also gently suggest that the process was biased form the start due to your managers comments. 

How part time is part time?  You might have more of a chance of dropping from 5 days to 4 rather than 5 days to 2, for example.....worth speaking to your relative perhaps?  You also might have more chance of getting a nursery for 4 days too if needed.  Then, either way, you have a fall back of using parental leave. 

I do get the concern about nursery etc, but if theres one thing I've learned its that babies/littlies are way more resilient than we think.  I remember dropping my 8 month old tiny baby off at nursery, which seemed huge and just inhuman.....I walked off sobbing as I left baby sobbing too..........looked back through the window to do a joint howl again and lament at how awful it was and the injustice of having to work and spotted baby looking destroyed and inconsolable.  I went to work and had to be sent home, first day back from mat leave <cringe>.  Every day I dropped baby off I wracked myself with guilt until the key worker showed me videos she'd taken.......every day, even that first day, without fail, the horrid little Judas would stop crying the second I closed the door.  After 2 weeks at nursery, baby cried when evil Mummy arrived and stopped all the fun at pick up time   

onwards&upwards

bpurves1110 said:

There wasn't plans of her going into childcare it was a family member who would have been caring for her who is now unable to due to the pandemic. The petition has already went to parliament its being debated in the next week or so. I had always planned to go part time but due to coronavirus my work is now a lot busier so they said they cannot have me part time. I have put in a formal request I haven’t had a response yet but my manager has already said it won’t happen. Leaving her in a nursery out with these circumstances would be completely different because we’d have time to get her used to it we don’t have that option. 

Why don’t you have time to get her used to it?

Mrsn

They will of course have to respond in the appropriate way to your flexible hours request.

As was said above once a petition gets to a certain amount of signatures they are required to look at the petition but honestly I do not see them extending the maternity leave entitlement. I would try and look at the positives that dad has had more time with baby than he would have normally had the opportunity for.

In relation to settling at nursery and a childminder to be honest you would be surprised at how quick babies adapt to their new surroundings. It’s parental guilt that makes its seem much more difficult than it actually is, many many working parents have been there and nobody will say it’s easy to begin with but right now it’s an option you should seriously consider.