- An employee is entitled to paid time off for antenatal care made on the advice of a medical practitioner irrespective of the length of service with employer. This can include parentcraft or relaxation classes.
- Ordinary maternity leave is 26 weeks followed by 26 weeks additional maternity leave. This applies to all employees irrespective of length of service.
- To qualify for statutory maternity pay a woman must have six months’ service at the point which is 15 weeks before baby is due.
- From April 2007 statutory maternity pay is 39 weeks. The first six weeks of maternity pay are paid at 90% of average weekly earnings. The remainder is paid at a flat rate set by the Government (or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower).
- SMP increased to £117.18 from 6th April 2008
- Women who do not qualify for SMP may qualify for maternity allowance
- Maternity leave is triggered if a woman is off work due to a pregnancy related reason in the final four weeks of pregnancy.
- There is a period of compulsory maternity leave during the two weeks’ immediately after childbirth (four weeks in a factory).
- A woman has the right to return to work following leave, irrespective of the size of the organisation.
- During the maternity leave there is the option of working up to 10 days during the maternity leave period (excluding the period of compulsory maternity leave) without losing statutory maternity pay for that week or bringing leave to an end. An employee can refuse to work these days without any detriment. Similarly, the employer can refuse to allow the employee to work these days.
- Employers are permitted to make reasonable contact with an employee on maternity or adoption leave.
Adoption Leave
- Adoption leave is the same as maternity leave, ie 26 weeks ordinary and 26 additional
- Pay is the lesser of a flat rate set by the government or 90% of average weekly earnings
- This applies when an individual or couple are newly matched with a child by an approved adoption agency. The employee must produce a matching certificate for the employer
- To qualify, an employee must have 26 weeks’ service
Read more about this on berr.gov.uk
Paternity Leave
- Paternity leave is one or two consecutive weeks’ to be taken in a single period
- Leave must normally be completed within 56 days of the actual date of birth
- Only one period of paternity leave is available per pregnancy
- Pay at lesser of either rate set by government per week or 90% of employee’s average weekly earnings
- To qualify, the employee must:
- have or expect to have responsibility for the child’s upbringing
- be the biological father of the child or the mother’s husband or partner
- have worked continuously for their employer for 26 weeks leading into 15th week before baby is due
- Employees are required to sign a certificate to confirm they qualify for statutory paternity pay.
Read more about this on berr.gov.uk