Any HR about? Maternity pay and bonus

[MoonlightMojitos]

At the beginning of every year in my work we are told what our bonus is (for the work we have done that previous year) but it is paid quarterly. So say it's £1000 we will then get £250 extra in Jan, April, July and Oct.

Will I just be paid this as extra on top of SMP quarterly as usual when I am on maternity leave?

I've tried Google but it only seems to answer regarding if you are entitled to bonuses whilst on leave, nothing about being paid extra on top SMP.

[melibu84]

No offence, but why don't you just ask them?

I did get mine, but It could depend on your company's policy.

[Dozyoldtwonk]

If it's a contractual benefit, then yes you should are still entitled to your bonus payments throughout your maternity leave. It may be rolled up with SMP though, in the same way that earnings are.

[fandabbydozier]

You should be entitled to it as it relates to the previous year. I would be very surprised if your Company didn't pay it out to you.

[MoonlightMojitos]

Sorry I haven't made myself clear... I know I will get it. It's for the previous year (I will have been in the work the whole year it relates to) and I will get told what it is before I go on maternity leave. I'm purely wondering how it effects pay if I'm on SMP. So will I get paid statutory pay and then every quarter get the bonus on top. Or whether they might have to pay it as a lump sum before I go on leave. I was just wondering if you're allowed to be paid extra when only on statutory pay.

I will ask them, it's just ages away yet and I'm starting to think about budgeting and what we will have when I'm on leave :).

[MoonlightMojitos]

dozy what do you mean rolled up with SMP?

[MoonlightMojitos]

I suppose I will just get it quarterly as usual thinking about it... there's nothing to stop you being paid more in general is there, as many people have benefits on top of SMP. I just wondered whether the fact it's quarterly would make any difference.

[UnicornPee]

I'm a payroll manager of a payroll provider.
There's no reason you can't have the bonus paid quarterly on top of your maternity leave. But it depends on how your company like to do it. They could save it all up and pay it when you return to work.

[MoonlightMojitos]

Thanks unicorn, now I've thought about it I think they probably would just pay it on top of maternity pay as they usually would quarterly. If I took the full year leave I wouldn't be back until 2018 by which point they would have announced the next lot of bonuses (for work done in 2017) so I doubt they would do that. Thanks again everyone!

[lr12345]

You should get it paid in top of your smp. Any bonuses and commission I earn when I'm on maternity leave are paid in addition to my smp

[MoonlightMojitos]

Thanks :)