To think my SMP will be calculated using my bonus payment?

[maternityplanning]

I am due to have my second baby next year and am looking at my smp payment calculations. It feels less confusing this time around, but only slightly less.

This is my understanding and I want to know if I'm missing something:
Smp is calculated in the 8 weeks period prior to the 15th week before the due date. My annual bonus (about 25% of my salary) is due in this 8 week period.

Am I nuts to think that my smp will therefore be massively inflated due to my bonus falling during the calculation period?

I am also able to vest and sell some company shares over that period, which would again boost up my smp. Would this affect my smp too?

Thank you for your help!

I doubt bonus is included - normally when contracts refer to 'pay' they mean basic pay, with bonuses excluded.

Bonus should be included as it is part of your renumeration package.
Sale of shares probably will not be as these already belong to you and you are making a sale not earning them.

Yes, my bonus has always been included when I've had average weekly pay calculated.

It might be included - my SMP with DD (13 years ago!) was based on my pay that profit sharing (15% of my salary) was paid out. I rang HR to find out if this was right as my pay was much more than I thought and they said it was correct and congratulated me on my excellent timing lol

Yep if it falls within that period, it should be included. I know a few people this has happened to, lucky you!

When I was made redundant when pregnant my smp was calculated off the months I got my redundancy payment. I got well into the five figures for my first smp payment. We double checked with the tax office and it was right!!

this happened to someone I knew and she got more SMP do you should be in luck! Not sure about the share though, I doubt this would be included

Yes, this happened to a colleague of mine ... frustratingly! We were pregnant at the same time, but she was due a few weeks before me. Her SMP included her bonus payment (we both worked on a trading floor in the City ... bonuses were good), mine didn’t. 13 years on I’m just about over it ... (& I had a healthy baby and that’s all that really matters)

YANBU bonus should be included in the calc if it falls within the period.

Mine was! I had a superbonus in that month and spent maternity leave absolutely minted. I wish I'd made wiser choices with it

My Maternity pay from my employer was (I got 90% for a certain number of months then onto SMP.

My salary at that point in time included my bonus, so i got more than my regular pay fir a short while, but then onto standard SMP

Wow this is awesome. I've checked the maternity action website and it's true! Thank you all !

@Kimchi that's amazing 😉 what a way to take an amazing redundancy and maternity leave!

@maternityplanning yep! I could not have been more delighted to be jobless at 5 months pregnant with a whopping double pay out and then not long after they employed me as a consultant for more than my salary too. It was so stressful for a time but worked out so well in the end!

I'm not sure if there is some confusion here. SMP is statutory and is not based on your salary.

You may be talking about OMP. Occupational maternity pay. Which your company decides and is based on their maternity policy.

Everyone who is eligible gets the same statutory weekly amount.

OMG I did not know this!

If I ever have a child I shall try and time the due date to get my bonus included, given its like 50% of my annual earnings!

@SandyY2K. You are wrong. SMP is indeed statutory, but it is also based on salary (for the first part). Go and look it up.

The first 6 weeks of SMP are at 90% of salary in the qualifying weeks. The rest of the SMP is a standard weekly amount

I didn't know this about SMP.

What are counted as the "qualifying weeks"?

My error.

@Crunchymum - as stated in the OP - SMP is calculated in the 8 weeks period prior to the 15th week before the due date.

Mine was!! I had 2 bonuses within the qualifying period. My paid may leave was nearly a grand more than what I’m usually paid for the first 3 months.

happened to me with baby 2. My company has a maternity leave policy of 18 weeks full pay, but in the first 6 weeks the legal 90% was higher than my 100% (as it included my annual bonus). they had to pay the higher amount for the first 6 weeks. I ended up being able to take an extra 3 months leave because of that windfall