Guest Cup Cake Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 [h=2]We want to have another baby but what about Maternity Pay?[/h] Hi Everyone, We are one step closer to getting to Oz with out 176 Visa coming in any day now. My deliema is that we have one son and would love another baby now but do we wait and have it in Oz or have it now and put off the actual move for a while? Im thinking if we stayed in the UK to have another baby we'd have the maternity pay and also my company maternity pay but it would be more financially difficult in Oz? I know the government provides 16 weeks paid leave at $570 per week and are entitled to 52 weeks leave but want to know what I could expect from employers. Anyone give any advice? what are the options for New Mothers in Oz?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Most employers would expect 12 months of service before maternity pay kicks in. Perhaps similar to if you changed jobs in the UK? You probably would not consider changing jobs in UK if you were also planning pregnancy and it is similar situation. But it really depends upon the employer policy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sally04 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 We want to have another baby but what about Maternity Pay? Hi Everyone, We are one step closer to getting to Oz with out 176 Visa coming in any day now. My deliema is that we have one son and would love another baby now but do we wait and have it in Oz or have it now and put off the actual move for a while? Im thinking if we stayed in the UK to have another baby we'd have the maternity pay and also my company maternity pay but it would be more financially difficult in Oz? I know the government provides 16 weeks paid leave at $570 per week and are entitled to 52 weeks leave but want to know what I could expect from employers. Anyone give any advice? what are the options for New Mothers in Oz?? IMO Australia is way behind mat rights for women compared to the uk. I believe my org was typical of others, had to have worked in job for 12 months to receive mat leave. I got 10 wks full pay, which I was able to take over 20 weeks half pay. I work in a hospital and had to fight to return to part time despite working in female dominated prof. I know many others who have not been given the option of flexible wkg post baby. So, depends on ur situation and personal work situation. IMO Aussie employees are not that accommodating to their employees wanting mat leave. I would have got a much better " package" in my Previous uk job You should also consider the financial cost of migrating which can wipe out a lot of ur savings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 You will probably be better off having the baby in the UK due to being able to get maternity pay, but another thing you have not considered is that having a baby after your 176 visa has been granted you will, when you are ready to move you will need to apply for a new visa for the baby. Currently Child 101 subclass costs $2060 applying offshore ($3060 onshore 801 subclass). the baby will need medicals and you and husbalnd will need new police checks - the CHild 101 offshore takes 5-7 months to be granted, and also needs to be validated within 12 months of the medicals which are usually requested not long after the applicaiton is lodged. A child born in Australia would be Australian Citizen at birth. You need to weigh the options of this extra cost of not having baby in Australia - with having to apply for another visa, and costs of validating your own visas, may actually cost you more than what you would receive in Maternity Pay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicolac34 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 My employer is an ASX100 Company and offers NO maternity pay at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 (edited) Get your visa, get pregnant, then go off work the earliest you can on maternity leave, think its 11 weeks before, take 1 year maternity leave, go to Oz whilst your on maternity leave, have baby in oz. This way you get maternity pay from your UK job,you will probably qualify for the $5000 baby bonus, you will qualify for Family Assistance(you will anyway as you already have a child), your baby will have Australian Citizenship as you are on PR, and you have at least 8 months to decide if you have made the right move before you actually have to resign from your UK job. Obviously you cant make a big deal of leaving work etc. Edited July 16, 2012 by AJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 "stupid question alert" if you take maternity leave and get maternity pay, and then after the year decide not to go back to work and resign, would you have to pay any/all of the maternity pay back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 It depends on your companies maternity policy. I had 18 weeks full pay then the rest of the year on statutory maternity pay and didnt have to pay any back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 It depends on your companies maternity policy. I had 18 weeks full pay then the rest of the year on statutory maternity pay and didnt have to pay any back. thanks was that in UK or aus? Have looked at company policy here, and not found anything about having to pay it back, but wanted to check there wasn't a national law that wouldn't be mentionned in company policy or something... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 thanks was that in UK or aus? Have looked at company policy here, and not found anything about having to pay it back, but wanted to check there wasn't a national law that wouldn't be mentionned in company policy or something... That was with my Uk company, a big multi national. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 "stupid question alert" if you take maternity leave and get maternity pay, and then after the year decide not to go back to work and resign, would you have to pay any/all of the maternity pay back? In the UK I got an enhanced package (public sector) which was above the government minimum. It did say I'd have to pay the extra back if I didn't go back for a certain length of time after (I think 15 weeks), but a friend of mine did exactly that and wasn't ever asked for it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Small firms with few employees do not have to do it at all its a totally unfair system. I am afraid I personally don't agree with it at all because of the unfairness. If everyone got it fine but not just for some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 So long as your contract doesn't have a repayment clause should you not return or leave within X amount of time of returning to work, staying in the UK is a good option. Or staying till you've had baby and then departing (and therefore only getting your basic maternity pay from your employer, not the extra your contract gives you). Another thing to consider, sorry to be the bearer of sobering thoughts on this one, but it could take you a year or more to conceive again (hopefully not but I speak from various pregnancy experiences and know only too well its not always so simple as just getting pregnant) and in that time you could be well settled in Aus and all that. I personally, if doing it over right now, would make the move to Aus and hang waiting around for possible better maternity benefits in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennlx Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I have friends who did not return to work after maternity leave (in the UK) and had to pay back the enhanced maternity pay. I was in the same conundrum, OP, and decided to have baby here in UK. I did ask in writing from my company that I would not have to pay back ANY money if I decided not to return to work after maternity leave. In respect of UK being ahead of the game, my friend in the UK was working a 4 day week for a very successful and large insurance company - after second child (and sickly baby at that), asked to go down to 3 days and was refused outright. She ended up leaving. Public sector UK can be very flexible, but I also have a friend who is a nurse and asked for fixed rota so she could arrange childcare; this too was turned down and she ended up leaving. Guess it depends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 "Another thing to consider, sorry to be the bearer of sobering thoughts on this one, but it could take you a year or more to conceive again (hopefully not but I speak from various pregnancy experiences and know only too well its not always so simple as just getting pregnant) and in that time you could be well settled in Aus and all that. " Obviously!! I was putting it in simple terms. She has got 5 years to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Obviously!! I was putting it in simple terms. She has got 5 years to do it. I hadn't actually seen your reply so it wasn't aimed at you in any way. Just a thing for the OP to consider was all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 (edited) Small firms with few employees do not have to do it at all its a totally unfair system. I am afraid I personally don't agree with it at all because of the unfairness. If everyone got it fine but not just for some. Thats the way it is. Unfortunately some small companies do not offer their own maternity benefits and you will just get statutory. Thats one of the conditions to consider when accepting a job. One of the benefits for working for a large company who is keen to keep their staff Edited July 16, 2012 by AJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leanda Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 I have just returned to work after maternity leave. My company did the bear min as regards to mat pay. The pay I received was the government maternity leave, 18 weeks at min wage, which in most cases is paid through your employer. To be entitled to this you must have worked a certain amount of time in the last 12 months. Not sure if you would be entitled to the 'baby bonus instead, you may have to check. I was very lucky and allowed to go back part time but this is a company decision not a legal right. Your company have to hold your position or a comparable one for 12 months but negotiating less hours etc is down to you and the company you work for. Check out centrelink website for more details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 We want to have another baby but what about Maternity Pay? Hi Everyone, We are one step closer to getting to Oz with out 176 Visa coming in any day now. My deliema is that we have one son and would love another baby now but do we wait and have it in Oz or have it now and put off the actual move for a while? Im thinking if we stayed in the UK to have another baby we'd have the maternity pay and also my company maternity pay but it would be more financially difficult in Oz? I know the government provides 16 weeks paid leave at $570 per week and are entitled to 52 weeks leave but want to know what I could expect from employers. Anyone give any advice? what are the options for New Mothers in Oz?? With regards to how many companies pay maternity leave on top of the govt scheme I found this: "In Australian private-sector organisations with 100 or more employees, 2009 EOWA survey data reveals that 54.9 per cent of EOWA reporting organisations provide paid maternity leave to their employees" (Source: http://www.eowa.gov.au/Information_Centres/Resource_Centre/Statistics/Paid_Maternity_Leave_Business_Case_PML_Apr2011.pdf) As other have said you would need to be working for 12 months usually. Note that as you would not be eligible for the govt's paid parental scheme I think you could opt for the $5,000 baby bonus if your family income totals < $75,000 in the "six" months after birth (ie < $150,000 per year). Source: http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/baby-bonus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest66881 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Your basing all this on having a baby to get the cash, DON'T GET PREGNANT. or have i read it wrong?:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 Your basing all this on having a baby to get the cash, DON'T GET PREGNANT. or have i read it wrong?:rolleyes: you've read it wrong... more a case of if have a baby and get given money, knowing whether you can keep the money if you quit would be an important factor in setting your budget for that year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoandJon Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 The statutory maternity pay in Oz is all I'm eligible for (miss out on the department's paid stuff by a measly 2 weeks!!!) Mind you, we'd been trying for ages and only hit the jackpot in Oz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 The statutory maternity pay in Oz is all I'm eligible for (miss out on the department's paid stuff by a measly 2 weeks!!!) Mind you, we'd been trying for ages and only hit the jackpot in Oz Don't you dare going over any bumpy roads, our lass.:no: Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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