Maternity leave entitlements

Rossdarragh1

Hi,

My wife is due to go on maternity leave soon and has yet to discuss it with her company. She works in the private sector.

The company has a handbook that states that they will not be paying her her full wage so I presume she will just be on state maternity benefit.

However I'm unsure of what her entitlements are in other areas as it's not stated in the handbook and she never signed a contract even though she's there a number of years.

As shes a sales rep she has a company car which she pays BIK on . Is she entitled to keep the car and her fuel card for the duration of the maternity leave, also can she keep the company phone and have her bill paid for the duration.

She also has a pension set up by her company. Through the terms of the pension the company contribute the same amount to it each month as my wife. Should she not continue to pay into the pension over the 6 months leave will her company continue to contribute?

I know a lot of these questions will be answered once she communicates with the company, however she would like to be more informed on what standard practice is before engaging with them. Thanks for your help.

Creamy Goodness

only entitled to the state maternity benefit, they may give her the other benefits but only they can answer that. But I'd be prepared to hand back the car, fuel card, phone, and expect no pension contribution.

pwurple

Hi,

She needs to discuss with the company, but in my situation, I lost the phone, laptop, income, and pension for maternity period. I asked social welfare could I flip the maternity leave to my husband for weeks 13 to 26, as we were struggling after 3 months with no salary, (and his company paid full benefits if we could swap) but there is only one circumstance that's allowed in Ireland... Death of the mother.

Completely Archaic, but that's the current situation.

What are you paternity leave entitlements, have you those sorted?

Loveinapril

When is she due to go on leave? She has can apply for state maternity any time from 26 weeks but it can take a month or two to process so she should apply ASAP. Why hasn't she discussed all her queries with her employer? They are the only ones who can give definitive answers.

Rossdarragh1

Mid December. She only had her appointment for the public services card yesterday so is waiting on that to apply for the maternity. Does that PSA card take long to come through?

Her boss had mentioned to a colleague of hers in the past that they could keep the car but that the benefit in kind on it may be higher. Does anybody know how the BIK payment would be effected if she got to keep the car?

She is meeting them next week.

starbaby2003

I don’t think anyone except her company can advise. The only entitlement is state maternity. Our company pay maternity. I kept my travel card and work phone. Handed back my laptop ( my choice). My pension contributions were remitted during my unpaid leave as well as my paid leave.