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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to claim meal out as part of KIT day?

58 replies

KristinaYang · 23/02/2022 18:43

Currently on mat leave and have done a couple keeping in touch days. Went in yesterday from 2pm thinking it’d be until 5pm, but my manager said a group of the senior managers were going for a meal (with some important clients) and would I like to come and if so, could I sit next to the CEO and a particular client. I said yes to help and also because I thought I’d enjoy it. I sat where told and chatted till about 10.30pm all about business only, so it wasn’t a social thing in my opinion. However, my line manager says I can’t claim those hours only the 2-5pm as the meal was social time? What do you think?
YANBU- claim the hours
YABU- it was social
Ps I paid for my meal too as did everyone else.

OP posts:
Hankunamatata · 23/02/2022 19:53

Was everyone else paid for going out for the meal?

Associatepeggy · 23/02/2022 19:55

It would be one KIT day. Even if you only go in for a couple of hours it's counts as one full day.

So it's one day, regardless of hours worked.

Or has it changed recently?

HunterHearstHelmsley · 23/02/2022 19:57

It sounds like a social outing not a business meeting.

What would you have done if this was a normal work day, not a KIT day? Would you have claimed overtime?

BarbaraofSeville · 23/02/2022 20:04

@frazzledasarock

What is in your maternity leave company policy?

Ours state KIT days are not just for working they’re for keeping in touch.

I thought they were about keeping in touch with your job, clients, processes, mandatory training/CPD not keeping in touch with people at work?
Qwill · 23/02/2022 20:05

You get a full day regardless of the hours? So really it doesn’t matter if you spent 15mins or 15hrs at work, you just claim for the day.

DetailMouse · 23/02/2022 20:06

@Associatepeggy

It would be one KIT day. Even if you only go in for a couple of hours it's counts as one full day.

So it's one day, regardless of hours worked.

Or has it changed recently?

It depends what your employer does. It's suggested best practice to pay a whole day but there's no requirement to do so.
Tippexy · 23/02/2022 20:23

Are you sure @DetailMouse? Maternity Action say:

“Even if you only work for part of a day or a couple of hours it will still use up one of your KIT/SPLIT days.“

DetailMouse · 23/02/2022 20:25

From Maternity Action

"Am I entitled to my normal pay for KIT/SPLIT days?

Unfortunately the regulations do not state what an employee should be paid for working a KITSPLIT day but employers are expected to pay your normal rate of pay. You are entitled to be paid at least the National Minimum Wage (not including the SMP/SAP or ShPP part of your pay) for any work that you do during leave. You can find more information on the National Minimum Wage here: www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates"

DetailMouse · 23/02/2022 20:28

"As a matter of good practice your employer should pay your normal wage for working a KIT/SPLIT day even if you work a shorter day as you may have incurred the same expenses in order to get to work"

Good practice, but not compulsory. As above, they don't even have to pay your usual wage, although I'm sure thale vast majority do.

Merryoldgoat · 23/02/2022 20:33

Just to clarify, a KIT day can be paid as per the hours you do but, each instance of attendance is counted a day, not that it’s paid as a full day regardless of how long you attend.

So if you do 5 full days you should be paid for 5 full days and you’ve used 5 of your allowance.

If you do 5 half days you should be paid half your daily rate but you’ve still used 5 possible KIT days.

DreamingofTimbuktu · 23/02/2022 20:44

You should be paid for a full day regardless, 1 hour is a full KIT day

ForTheHorde · 23/02/2022 20:45

Surprised so many people got full day's pay for partial hours. I only got paid for the time I was there on my KIT days.

I think, as there were clients there, you should claim the hours. It sounds like a work event. If it had been just staff and colleagues I would have said no.

ForTheHorde · 23/02/2022 20:46

@DreamingofTimbuktu

You should be paid for a full day regardless, 1 hour is a full KIT day
No - if you only stay 1 hour it still counts as a whole KIT day for your total allocation, but it doesn't mean you will get a full day's pay. Some employers will only pay the time you work.
SergeiL · 23/02/2022 20:53

What I have learnt having been through two mat leaves and having little ones when you return to week as you will need to ‘take’ a lot when they are poorly all the time when you return and therefore a bit of ‘give’ now might be a good idea.

SergeiL · 23/02/2022 21:30

Ok. That made no sense! Basically you will need to take it a bit when you return, so I would let this one go!

Original poster
KristinaYang · 23/02/2022 21:32

I only get paid the hours I work on a KIT day.
Yes someone divvied up the bill and we all paid our portion individually - including the clients.

The others all get the time back in lieu (and that’s what I have done previously too).

OP posts:
Chestofdraws · 23/02/2022 22:08

Gosh what kind of company makes clients and staff pay for their own dinners and squabbles over a couple of hours pay?

That’s so bad,

balalake · 23/02/2022 22:10

Take the time back at some point in the future.

Merryoldgoat · 23/02/2022 22:17

@SergeiL

Ok. That made no sense! Basically you will need to take it a bit when you return, so I would let this one go!
I agree with this.

I have two younger children and between October and January there was literally not a single week my job wasn’t disrupted in some way and that’s with DH doing his share.

I give a fair bit and it means that when ‘David’ gets a text saying ‘sorry - DC has vomited everywhere and I can’t come in - I’ll wfh once I’ve settled him with crackers and squash’ he doesn’t bat an eyelid.

MoiraNotRuby · 23/02/2022 22:21

What industry are you in? Honestly all paying for your meal sounds so bizarre its hard to have an opinion on the rest, the context is so different to how most places work.

HairyScaryMonster · 23/02/2022 23:06

If the others get toil you should be paid as toil not an option. I think it's terrible it was not optional and you paid for your own meal never mind not being paid for the time!

violetbunny · 24/02/2022 06:46

@KristinaYang

I only get paid the hours I work on a KIT day. Yes someone divvied up the bill and we all paid our portion individually - including the clients. The others all get the time back in lieu (and that’s what I have done previously too).
The ACAS website states, "If an employee works part of a KIT day, it still counts as a full day."

www.acas.org.uk/managing-your-employees-maternity-leave-and-pay/planning-maternity-leave

Darbs76 · 24/02/2022 06:48

I guess none of the other staff are being paid for being at the meal so would seem wrong to pay you for it. It was optional and you could have said that you needed to get back for the baby

SickAndTiredAgain · 24/02/2022 06:53

The ACAS website states, "If an employee works part of a KIT day, it still counts as a full day."

Yes but only in the context of the KIT day entitlement - you get a maximum of 10 KIT days, and if you come in for half a day, you have 9 left, not 9.5.

Pay is separate to that.

IWentAwayIStayedAway · 24/02/2022 06:57

Are you on a good maternity package?