odd rule with regard to maternity

LegacyUser

Hello,

I started a new job this week, great job, permanent etc. We had some induction training this week and I'm slightly concerned by something in the employee manual though, I've never seen such a rule in any previous job and didn't think that it was possible.

Basically it's with regard to maternity leave. They don't pay the employee unless she has been with the company for more than 24months. this applies to everyone in the company, permanent or not. Is this legal?? I've no plans to get pregnant but still, accidents can happen and this has me worried.

Is an employer entitled to do this? It wasn't on my contract, only in the employee manual.

Can anybody advise?

Thanks.

wmpdd3

Yes, it's legal.

There is no onus on an employer to pay maternity leave.

I don't know of any company that pays maternity benefit. The last place I heard of was Next and they stopped if for new employees. If you work full time and have enough stamps you will get €270 from the government each week for your maternity.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/social-welfare/social-welfare-payments/social-welfare-payments-to-families-and-children/maternity_benefit

3DataModem

Totally normal clause in a contract, sometimes 12 months, sometimes 24, usually none at all.

gerrycollins

wmpdd3 wrote: »

Yes, it's legal.

There is no onus on an employer to pay maternity leave.

I don't know of any company that pays maternity benefit. The last place I heard of was Next and they stopped if for new employees. If you work full time and have enough stamps you will get €270 from the government each week for your maternity.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/social-welfare/social-welfare-payments/social-welfare-payments-to-families-and-children/maternity_benefit

my wife worked for AIB and they paid the balance of her wages ofset by the social welfare amount.

nobody anymore pays maternity leave other than the old horses but i can see that disappearing soon too

Eoin

Basically it's with regard to maternity leave

It's to do with maternity pay, not maternity leave. Anything you get over the social welfare is a bonus. A lot of large companies still do pay this though, and I don't know how quickly they would get rid of it. Even if they could remove it for current employees, I reckon there would be a lot of unrest about it.