Hi Working Hard,
I don't. I think the government (rather than individual companies) should pay a higher statutory maternity pay rate than £117 per week. Modern society encourages women into careers. Most couples have to have both partners working in order to afford the current cost of living. The government wants children to be healthy and well-adjusted. And yet many women will have no choice but to return to work after just 6 weeks. Not good for the child and hardly a encouraging a cohesive, family-orientated society.
I also feel that an employer should let the employee know what the maternity situation is. I've not received any information beyond a letter about normal leave whilst I'm grounded.
Personally, thankfully, I've now found out what's offered by my company/our government with just about enough time to save up for my maternity leave - we hope. So we should be able to save just enough to cover our mortgage whilst I'm off. But I find it hard to believe that anyone on a low income or single mothers would be able to save enough beforehand to cover current rent/mortgage rates whilst on maternity.
I'm sorry that you can't have children but does that mean that those who are lucky enough to be able to should be penalised? Or, rather, that their children should be penalised?
Last edited by Paddington; 21st Jun 2008 at 20:30.