Fulltime permanent position in a Third Level College. Maternity and "top up" payments

Margie

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I work in a fulltime permanent position in a Third Level College.

I was initially told that i would get full pay (top up pay) while out on maternity leave only to be told quite bluntly last Friday after weeks of chasing that i won't get a cent from my employer.

I have to go on social welfare. I think this is disgusting.

There should be some law to enforce that permant employees are looked after while out on maternity leave.
 
Re: Maternity Leave

Hi Margie and welcome to AAM,

You should contact your trade union representative and clarify the matter with them.

What does your contract of employment say about "top up" maternity payments?

Have other employees in the organiation got "top up" maternity payments.

Do a search for maternity benefit and "top up" and you will get many hits.

aj

http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=298027
How do Companies deal Maternity Payment? "Dont Pay" or "Pay and Deduct MB"?
[broken link removed] is an excellent resource.

Im moving this thread from the SW forum to the Jobs/Careers forum which deals with employee entiltements such as this.
 
Re: Maternity Leave

You need to check your contract of employment as mentioned above. There is no statutory entitlement to salary (part or full) while on maternity leave. If you meet the relevant qualification criteria then you will qualify for MB. Some employers also pay salary in part or full.
 
Re: Maternity Leave

Welfarite, would you class going on social welfare as being looked after? in my opinion employers should value good employees who work very diligently. It's no wonder this country is in the state it's in. if you sit at home on social welfare you seem to get more benefits than going to work full time all your life. I feel very let down

Ajapale thank you for your advice but unfortunately we do not have a union first of all and i was never given a contract of employment.
 
Re: Maternity Leave

Hi Marge,

The fact that you are not in a trade union does not mean that you cant contact them for advice.

Your employer has a statutory obligation to provide you with a contract of employement if you request one. How long have you been employed with this employer?
 
Re: Maternity Leave

It's no wonder this country is in the state it's in. if you sit at home on social welfare you seem to get more benefits than going to work full time all your life.
Not true as your specific situation illustrates. And, for exampl, many jobs pay a lot more than, say, Jobseekers Allowance/Benefit.
 
In many countries there is no social welfare maternity benefit and most employers don't pay it either....Australia is only considering bringing it in now...
 
I there anyone in the same situation as myself? While I appreciate that yes I will get the social welfare payment, is it not wrong of my employer to lead me on and to also tell me that they 'wouldn't see me stuck' only to be totally let down. my employer will actually benefit from my leave as the person taking over for me is on a far lower wage.

I have lots of friends who got the top up payment while on maternity leave. Also, some companies offer this as a basic entitlement. am i being totally unreasonable?

i am also the first permanent employee to go on maternity leave in my job for the last 20 odd years.
 
Re: Fulltime permanent position in a Third Level College. Maternity and "top up" paym

is it not wrong of my employer to lead me on and to also tell me that they 'wouldn't see me stuck' only to be totally let down.
Who told you that you would get salary while on maternity leave? Were they authorised to comment on this? Did they write it down? Get your contract of employment (to which you are entitled as mentioned above) and check it for details on this. If you have any hassle getting it then contact the DETE employment rights department for advice.
I have lots of friends who got the top up payment while on maternity leave. Also, some companies offer this as a basic entitlement. am i being totally unreasonable?
It's not a case of being unreasonable - just that some employers offer this as a benefit and others do not. You need to establish for certain whether your employer does regardless of what you might have been told verbally.
i am also the first permanent employee to go on maternity leave in my job for the last 20 odd years.
Not sure what the relevance of this is?
 
The "first in 20 years" might be relevant in how the employer is now treating the OP! Obviously, they didn't know how to handle it and their empty promises have shown how ignorant they were of employee's feelings/rights in this matter. as you say, Clubman, the contratc is the key but it sounds futile as I doubt the employer ever countenanced this situation prior to this!
 
It was my boss that told me by mouth initially that I would get full pay. This person then investigated further and told me that because the College is classed as the private sector, they don't have to pay me.

my comment about being the first person to go on leave in over 20 years was in response to another's question.
 
If I look for a contract of employment at this stage I can foresee what it will contain. I suppose I just feel hard done by because I know so many people who do get this benefit. I think the major advice here is to demand a contract of employment on your first day to avoid any confusion or hurt.

I feel very undervalued in terms of appreciation as a very hard working employee. I know I will get over this but the way the whole situation was handled was very disappointing. I wonder what the chances are of employers being made by law to top up in the furure
 
Public sector automatically receive top up pay to the best of my knowledge. A large proportion of larger employers seem to do so too. However smaller employers in the private sector who do pay seem to be in the minority. My employer paid me a top up, small IT company. However they included a clause that if I did not return or left within 6 mths I had to repay everything they gave me, if I left between 6 mths and a year, I had to repay half. Fair enough, I was glad to be getting a top up at all. A friend of mine gets a top up up to 80% of her salary (again, small IT) and another few friends got nothing from their employers.
It sounds like the boss who told you you'd get full salary knew as much about it as you did, i.e. assumed that was they way it would be. Unfortunately most people have to learn how to get by with just the govt benefit.
 
I wonder what the chances are of employers being made by law to top up in the furure

This won't happen as it would only result in noone employing women of a childbearing age. Small companies would not be able to afford to pay 2 salaries for one job every time someone is on maternity. My co only has 10 women but between us we've had 10 babies in the last 4 years. People aren't replaced in here, everyone else just works a bit harder, but it means that they can afford to pay the top up.
 
Re: Fulltime permanent position in a Third Level College. Maternity and "top up" paym

Public sector automatically receive top up pay to the best of my knowledge.

No, this is not true. I know of some women in the public sector whose contract of employment states that they will not get maternity benefit "top up".

I would guess that the majority of the Public Sector, most of the Public Service and 100% of the Civil Service get 100% maternity benefit "top up".



margie,

I know you say that you are not in a trade union but I still think it worth your while to contact them and hear what you have to say.

The union may have experience in negotiating in similar third level private organisations. Trade unions are masters at the art of negotiation and it is possible that a compromise might be reached in your case. Or at least for the next time such a case arises.
 
Thank you Trisha for the info. I appreciate all of the insights that i got from people today and yes i have learned a valuable lesson. I also realise that some employers really value their employees by paying the top up. unfortunately I have to accept the cards I have been dealt.
 
Ajapale, I understand what you are advising. To be honest, when I was eventually told that I wouldn't get the top up I knew my employer didn't quite understand what I was suggesting i.e. a top up not full payment p.w. I pushed my employer a little and they came back to me quite angry suggesting that I was railroading them into a decision. I also explained to them that the person taking over for me was on a much lower wage so it would probably balance out. I was reprimanded for this.

my employer was very angry with me over the whole situation and told me that they were very disapopointed in the way I handled my query.

To add insult to injury I was then offered a 'once off' payment of one weeks wages as a settlement gesture.

Basically what I am saying is, if i were to involve a union I think my job would be in serious jeapordy. I have already got devoured over asking for a benefit which I should have been told about in a contract and that would have avoided all of this.
 
Re: Fulltime permanent position in a Third Level College. Maternity and "top up" paym

Hi Marge,

I understand how this must be for you what with a baby on the way and with what can only at best described as "poor communications" at work.

I get the impression that this is a small private organisation which does not have much Human Resource Management experience.

As you say I think the best thing you can do now is to "play with the cards that have been dealt" concentrate on your new arrival.

Did you have a look at rollercoaster.ie?

aj
 
Do other employess have written contracts of employment? Why did you never get one or ask for one?
 
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