Should (100% topup) paid Maternity Leave in the Public Service be abolished.

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TheBlock

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It appears that Gardai, Nurses and Teachers etc are entitled to 26 weeks full paid maternity leave.

Surley this should be scrapped and public service workers should be treated the same as most private sector workers and have maternity leave limited to the DSFA payment.

I cannot quantify the savings that this would lead to but I'm sure they are substantial enough given the times we are in.
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

How about removing all these benefits from all workers. Level the playing field as it were.
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

Its not true to say that most private sector workers have mat leave limited to DSFA. This may be true for small companies and self employed, but 26 weeks full paid leave is the norm in most large private sector companies.
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

Its a lot less common these days. Often its limited to managment grades only.

However its a massive quality of life issue for families and for working woman. Its a bigger issue than just saving money. Its still just a perk. Ditto paternity leave/pay.

How about other countries?
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

jaybird said:
Yes, lets go backwards! Nurses, gardai, teachers and the like are the people who actually serve the country...surely they if anyone deserve things such as paid maternity leave?
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That a load of rubbish. Paid maternity leave is a great idea so if we can afford it then everyone should get it.
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

csirl said:
This may be true for small companies and self employed, but 26 weeks full paid leave is the norm in most large private sector companies.
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Yes, if the companies can afford it they pay it. If they can't they don't. At the moment the state, as an employer, can't. It would be great if it could... but it can't.
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

TheBlock said:
It appears that Gardai, Nurses and Teachers etc are entitled to 26 weeks full paid maternity leave. Surley this should be scrapped and public service workers should be treated the same as most private sector workers and have maternity leave limited to the DSFA payment. I cannot quantify the savings that this would lead to but I'm sure they are substantial enough given the times we are in.
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Public sector workers (both civil and public service) who were recruited before 1995 don't qualify for Maternity Benefit from SW as they don't pay the appropriate PRSI contributions.
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

gipimann said:
Public sector workers (both civil and public service) who were recruited before 1995 don't qualify for Maternity Benefit from SW as they don't pay the appropriate PRSI contributions.
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That's easy to fix.
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

Believe me, most public servants that I know who were recruited pre 95 would much rather be paying full prsi and getting all the benefits than paying part prsi and getting absolutely nothing for it.
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

gipimann said:
Public sector workers (both civil and public service) who were recruited before 1995 don't qualify for Maternity Benefit from SW as they don't pay the appropriate PRSI contributions.
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Do they still get full pay while on maternity leave?
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

Purple said:
Yes, if the companies can afford it they pay it. If they can't they don't. At the moment the state, as an employer, can't. It would be great if it could... but it can't.
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Don't tell me there is yet another little purpler on the way!
 
I know that not all women in the public sector enjoy 100% top up paid maternity leave. I knew an hourly paid stores issuer who was not paid this 100% top up.

Also I know of women in the private sector who were paid 100% top up and kept their company car and company provided broad band etc for the duration of their maternity. The company involved could not afford not to as the woman would resign and join a competitor if she did not get it!
 
No way should the public sector enjoy 100% paid maternity leave, they need to get real we're all loosing our jobs in the private sector, sick of listening to public sector moaning about have to pay towards their pensions etc. Hello be glad you have a job and stop moaning and threatening to strike.
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

jaybird said:
Yes, lets go backwards! Nurses, gardai, teachers and the like are the people who actually serve the country...surely they if anyone deserve things such as paid maternity leave?
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I assume by the above you work in the public service, "nurses, gardai, teachers serve their country" what do they want a medal for serving their country, they get well paid for doing a job.
 
Are there figures available for the amount of money paid to women employed in the public sector who are on maternity leave and their numbers? It would be essential to have an idea of the amount we're talking about when prioritising areas for savings.
As a matter of principle, I'd expect that if areas where instances of waste/duplication/gross financial profligacy/fraud are demonstrably evident that those areas will be targeted for savings before a payment such as top-up maternity was cut. Depending on where you sit on the left-right spectrum, you may feel that the top-up falls under these categories- it's a subjective choice, to an extent- personally, I don't feel it should be a priority for cutting (BTW, I'm male, in case anyone thinks that's relevant).
A more pertinent question might be whether the baseline value of the maternity payment is too high/ just right/ too low.
 
2% of the HSE are currently on maternity leave. When you consider that it lasts 6 months, that means that about 4% take it in a year (possibly a bit less as they may be including unpaid leave also).:
[broken link removed]
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

Towger said:
Don't tell me there is yet another little purpler on the way!
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Yes, number four will be here in a few weeks but how did you deduce that from my post???
 
Jaybird, they'd still get the same maternity payments that the state pays to other women. Taking circle's figures it means that around 5'600 women take it each year in the HSE alone. I accept that not all of them are getting full top-up payments but there is still a significant cost to the state. As a country we need to cut public expenditure by over one third. These are exceptional times.
 
Re: Should paid Maternity Leave in the Public Sector be abolished.

jaybird said:
You assume wrong. No, no medals, just basic provisions such as paid maternity, which has proven benefits to children and society, as well as the individual employees.
With so much waste, so much profiteering, double and triple pensions to ministers, bizarre overpayments...there are a million and one places to cut spending from the public purse before you take away a hard won thing such as paid maternity, a symbol of progression in society and a lot more than a "perk".
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Why doesn't everyone get this top up then seen as they the tax paying public are paying for it for public servants?
 
Well employers are not necessarily interested in benefits to society, whereas the state a) has to be interested in society and b) has no shareholders baying for blood.

Anyway, I'd look at paying full maternity as best practice. I know they are exceptional times, but really- plenty of political fat to be trimmed before issues like this.
 
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