A quarter (25%) of respondents only offer statutory maternity pay to staff, according to research by My Family Care.
Its research, which surveyed 100 employers, found that, among respondents that do provide enhanced maternity pay, the duration ranged from three weeks to 52 weeks.
The research also found that the legal and banking sectors generally provided the best benefits to employees with a new baby.
Jennifer Liston-Smith, director of coaching and consultancy at My Family Care, said: “These industries do have a reputation for having an unfriendly work-life culture and they are aware that one of the leaks in their female talent pipeline is around the maternity transition.
“So it’s easy to understand why they would offer generous maternity packages, such as bonuses after four months of returning to work.
“In our experience, those that lead the field also focus on ensuring systems are in place to smooth the transition too, with managers being aware and equipped for good conversations and individuals having the skills to manage smart ways of working for themselves.”
