Parental Leave Entitlements: An overview

[CoNNiE_Melb]

A question I haven't seen answered anywhere or been able to find an answer to online:

I am in a sales role and am currently paid commission, will the commission I earn continue to be paid while I am on maternity leave?

[briggsy's girl]

would depend on your own contract of employment

i'm guessing no though as you're not contributing to the sales from which the commission is earned

[Manhattan]

Just a quick Q from me, I'm pretty sure I've read this right.

I am planning on taking 12 months leave, and currently have about 4 weeks annual leave up my sleeve. So when i start my Mat Leave, I will get 4 weeks paid, and 48 unpaid - no maternity pay where i work Is that right??

And also, is there any restriction on how early you can start leave? At this stage I'm thinking maybe from 32 weeks.

TIA

[briggsy's girl]

depending on your award you can generally start leave earlier. you can ask your HR department though. they may have something in place that says you can use the normal rec leave for first four weeks (which puts you up to the "normal" time for starting mat leave) and still get your 52 weeks from that point, not the point you start your rec leave (so 52 weeks from your 36 week mark, not your 32week mark if that makes sense)

a fair amount of what is in the OP on this thread is now obsolete - when i have a chance i'll try and update the c'link side of it if i can

[Manhattan]

Thanks BG, totally makes sense! Guess i will have to have a chat with HR before I do my Mat Leave letter, just to make sure i get my dates right.

Thanks again

[cjsmum77]

Hi,
Just a quick Q from me. I worked FT before my maternity leave and due to be back next year. Just had a meeting with my employer yesterday and they pretty much told me that if i want to come back to my current position, i have to come back FT. Otherwise they can look for PT position for me with lower salary. But I know before they gave someone who came back from maternity leave a PT position with less responsibility for the same salary as their previous role?
What's my right? Thanks

[Muppity]

Hi cjsmum

Actually - sorry - but on this one your boss is right. Under the current rules if your return from mat leave they have to give you your old position or "an equivalent" position. There is a suggestion that where possible allowance for working part time should be considered but there is no obligation on the employer to do this.

Unless you work for a larger company where they have different rules written into your employment contract where alternatives have been negotiated.

If I were you I would sit down and work out what you want and then try and think of it from their perspective and then go back to them with a proposal for part time work in your current position or tell them why you think that a different position but a higher salary would be good for them as well as you. But unfortunately the fact that they did it for someone else previously doesn't cut it - for many companies times have changed and they simply can't afford to do things like that anymore.

Good luck.