Midwife asking me to go off sick

[Gosleep]

Second trimester of pregnancy, feeling totally wiped out with a toddler. Work is stressful and I feel on the edge constantly.
Saw midwife and she has asked me to go sick off work and take rest for couple of weeks.
I don't know what to do I feel so tired and exhausted and my health hasn't been great. I ams struggling with stress and sleep.
Would it affect my maternity pay if I go off sick for weeks 17-20 of pregnancy?
Any suggestions please.

Depends on your company's policy. You have to go through your gp to actually get signed off so maybe speak to them too.

Yeah, will see the GP

To give you an example when I was last pregnant around 3 years ago, I got covid and then had long covid (not really, was actually just the pregnancy and couldn't kick covid enough really) so the GP (without me requesting it) signed me off until my mat leave was due to start which was 10 weeks. The way the policy was at my work was that my enforced mat leave actually started 1 week AFTER I had planned to start it. So I gained. And didn't have to work for the last part of my pregnancy. I was genuinely unwell though and basically sat on the sofa for 10 weeks so I didn't feel guilty or anything but it did feel strange in comparison to other pregnancies.

To add - although I didn't ask to be signed off, I did see the gp based on the midwife's recommendation and he decided I needed to be signed off basically.

If you only get statutory sick pay then yes, being off sick in weeks 17-25 of pregnancy can affect your statutory maternity pay as they use those weeks to calculate SMP.

If you only get SSP in those weeks then you could end up not qualifying for SMP and may need to apply for Maternity Allowance instead.

Read your contract and maternity pay arrangements carefully. I had PPROM but wasn’t in labour and obviously couldn’t work. I had a few days sick leave then it tipped into maternity leave as I was within a couple of months of my due date.

They can only start your maternity leave early if you're off for a pregnancy related illness in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy

It depends on your company policy. With mine, it wasn’t affected and was classed as usual sick leave/pay unless I went off sick with a pregnancy related illness within the last 8 weeks of pregnancy - as that would mean they would automatically start my maternity leave from that point. Obviously not great as it would impact time off with baby if you potentially lose up to 8 weeks of Mat before they’re even born. But before those 8 weeks it was just classed as usual sick leave. But definitely check your company policy as everywhere is different.

Will you receive normal pay? Otherwise it may affect the weeks the 90% element of smp is based upon.

I get 6 months of full pay on maternity leave and 3 months SMP in the civil services.

This is the key question - if you get full pay whilst sick then it shouldn't affect your maternity pay.

@Peonies12 I get full pay in sick leave.

Then you are fine.
Just check for how long you get full pay.
It can be weeks it can be months.
You need average of 123£ two month before 15th week before due date.

Eligible for 4 months full pay on sick leaves.

That’s what I got (also civil service) and as long as it wasn’t 8 weeks before start of Mat leave it was classed as usual sick pay if I remember the policy right. Check your policy as it’ll all be in there, mine was

Take a few weeks off and reset. Prioritise you and your baby. X

I'm a civil servant, too, HO. My pregnancy was yonks ago, daughter is now 12. I can't remember the finer details of the guidance now (it'll be on the intranet (Metis, if you're also HO)), but something like if you're sick so-many weeks before the due date, they can enforce your mat leave to start. Pretty sure 3 weeks off in the middle will be covered under the exceptions and won't contribute to your triggers, and is nowhere near the 'enforced mat leave cut off sick point'.

SSP is calculated on weeks 17-25 (weekly paid) and the 2 payslips before the 25th week of pregnancy for monthly paid. So yes, if they only pay SSP it would affect your pay.

That’s 36 weeks, and only if it’s pregnancy related sickness.

Actually shocked that some companies pay zero sick pay and you'd only get SSP. I got 7.5 months full pay and then ssp in my job. But I think finance is quite good with these soon of perks. Have a rest OP, you've earned it x