Understanding Maternity Leave

Laik2392 on 01/09/2020 - 21:17
Last edited 01/09/2020 - 21:18

Hi All,

Partner finished up work 2 weeks ago as she’s due at the end of the month. From our understanding she was going to get paid from work her annual leave and once bubs is born she is entitled to the 18 week payment from the government.

She usually gets paid on Tuesday which is today but didn’t get paid, she’s ,essaged her manager and she’s not sure how it all works and needs to talk to HR (not sure how quick she will get back to her). Keen to see if anyone can confirm that my understanding is correct or not.

Thanks for the help in advance!!

Financial Maternity Leave

closed Comments

  • PR0r on 01/09/2020 - 21:26

    I can't see it being a problem to have holiday pay paid until bub is born. How can that be so difficult for them to understand and do?

    Maternity leave needs to be filled out online and submitted, then once bub is born you'll be able to choose the date it starts. I did this for my wife a few months back. If COVID is making her unsafe to work — being pregnant, jobkeeper may be a possibility? Might be worth investigating the criteria there.

    • aik2392 on 01/09/2020 - 22:09

      Yeah doesn’t really make sense. Getting her to talk to HR tomorrow.

  • Seraphin7 on 01/09/2020 - 21:28

    An employee doesn't "automatically" go onto annual leave in this circumstance. They will have been recorded as "on parental leave" in the system that is likely an equivalent setting to "leave without pay".

    Speak to HR and clear it up.

    • aik2392 on 01/09/2020 - 22:06

      Thanks, so your saying she won’t get paid any of her annual leave?

      • dizzle on 01/09/2020 - 23:00

        did she apply for the annual leave?

      • Seraphin7 on 01/09/2020 - 23:16

        Her annual leave is still sitting there. It is likely that the company would be more than happy to pay out the annual leave, but you need to explicitly ask for it … if that's what you want to do.

      • conan2000 on 02/09/2020 - 00:55
        +1

        She would need to have applied for annual leave via the normal process. Sounds like her employer isn't giving any paid parental leave, and it's just Government 18 week payment. The government maternity leave payments are paid to your employer, and then they pay this to your partner.

  • thatonethere on 01/09/2020 - 22:13

    One hack if your work allows it is if she has a caesarean or other surgery and needs care then you can take carers leave (sick leave) to look after her and the new baby.

    Similarly if she is recovering from surgery then she can take sick leave too

    • aik2392 on 01/09/2020 - 22:18

      Can’t see her work doing that lol.

      • thatonethere on 01/09/2020 - 22:26

        You can't take sick leave? The dr or hospital registrar will write the certificate.

      • brad1-8tsi on 02/09/2020 - 10:45
        +1

        All she needs is a doctors certificate. Take advantage of it as you will need as much time off and income as you can get.

        Strangely, if they deliver a watermelon sized human out of a hole that is normally only good for a few inches diameter and it needs 12 stitches to patch up, that's not being sick.

        re: Annual leave - did she apply for it?

        You need to talk to HR regarding Annual leave and the maternity leave. I'm out of touch with current regs (it was LWOP when my wife took it) but if you can take it for longer at reduced pay (1/2 or 1/4 rate) it may entitle you to higher family payment benefits.

        I'd also strongly recommend that you become Mr Mum for a few months when your spouse returns to work. I did this with both my kids from 9m-12m and the bond we formed is very strong and has endured. NB: yes it involved changing nappies, attending play group, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping etc.

        good luck with it. Kids are the best and worst thing ever - usually concurrently. :-)

        • aik2392 on 02/09/2020 - 11:27

          Thanks for the info!

    • lgacb08 on 02/09/2020 - 13:58
      +1

      What sort of advice is this, his wife doesn't have to go through any of those for him to get personal leave, even the government is giving the partner 2 weeks pay if the he/she decide to take 2 weeks unpaid leave. Any business that refuse me a reasonable amount of personal leave if my partner give birth (and even if she can get home on second day) wont stand a chance before fairwork.
      Having a child ia not merely a responsibility of the women, even if she were wonderwoman

  • Domingo on 01/09/2020 - 22:20

    Really depends on the system her work uses. If she fills out timesheets or needs to apply for leave in some kind of HR/time tracking/payroll system, then it will work as per that.

    If it's something that a manual payroll team processes, then it's the agreements that she's got in place with the people who give them instructions. In that case, it would be worth following up with her manager to ensure the arrangement is understood and will be actioned correctly.

  • sahh on 01/09/2020 - 22:48
    +2

    Did your wife apply for annual leave via form / system? I assume this wasn’t automatic.

    At my workplace you need to apply for annual leave / sick leave in the system.

    • aik2392 on 02/09/2020 - 11:28

      She applied for it with her manager and got a doc that it's been processed from HR. The main HR person was on leave and some other one was looking after it, how the main one is saying she doesn't know anything about it. Her manager is trying to work it out today!!

  • Moderatorscrimshaw on 02/09/2020 - 16:35

    Thread closed as OP is banned as a ghost account.

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