Maternity Pay

[TwllBach]

Can anyone help?

I spoke to HR before Christmas and a lovely lady explained to me that I would get

4 weeks full pay
2 weeks @ 90%
12 weeks @ half pay plus SMP

And a bit more after that but it's not relevant as I'll be going back at 16 weeks.

This is where I'm getting confused though - my contract is 0.57 but I usually do 3/4 afternoons of supply in the same school. The woman on the phone said they calculate maternity pay based on an average salary of 8 weeks before the 15 weeks before the due date which obviously for me is more than my contracted pay.

Fast forward to March when I spoke to a man who said that the first four weeks are just contracted pay. The two weeks at 90% will be calculated on my average weekly pay, as described above, and then the rest at half pay + SMP will be half my contracted pay again.

Does that sound right? I don't understand why the 90% would be calculated differently?

[Heirhelp]

I think you need to contact you union for this, they should be able to help.

[TwllBach]

It hadn't even occurred to me to ask my Union

[DrownedGirl]

Statutory maternity pay is all calculated on average earnings - it's only the additional contractual pay that might be different

www.gov.uk/pay-leave-for-parents

[DrownedGirl]

www.teachers.org.uk/sites/default/files2014/maternity-matters-may-2015-edition_0.doc

[DrownedGirl]

At 3.3 nut advise


Note that for the purpose of the Burgundy Book scheme, a week’s pay is the amount payable under the current contract of employment. If there are significant variations in your salary, the average salary over the 12 weeks preceding the date of absence shall be treated as a week’s salary.

[TwllBach]

I thought so... That's how the first woman explained it. My actual earnings are significantly over my contracted earnings by around £4-600 a month (beauty of supply) but I don't want to make a fuss. It's not my headteacher that will be scrunching the numbers after all, and she's been quite good to me, it's payroll. I will call them first to double check (although ive already done that and got the same man twice!)

[DrownedGirl]

But if your pay over the 12 weeks is higher, they should take that, by the look
Of it

[TwllBach]

My Union have said that supply counts for nothing at all! I'm so confused...

[caroldecker]

Supply teachers are entitled to statutory maternity pay, not the higher occupational pay you get as a salaried teacher.
The calculation is an average, but excludes the supply teaching element.
It is as if you have 2 jobs - one is the salaried teacher, the other as a supply teacher. The salaried job gives you the enhanced allowance based on your salary only. You are not entitled to SMP on the other job (assuming your earnings are added together for NIC purposes)

[TwllBach]

I am a little bit sad now to be honest! I worked so hard, not specifically for maternity pay but just because that's what was required of me, was told it would count towards it and yet a week before my due date I am told it doesn't it makes it even worse that obviously I have been taxed on it haha, so they are happy to take from my hard work but not reward me!

[DrownedGirl]

It would be worth you putting your feelings into a letter.