Maternity leave/pay help please

[McPhee]

I'm a full time nanny working 52 hrs a week, just found out I'm 6 weeks pregnant, and I've been with the family for nearly 3 years.

What am I legally entitled to, ref the above?

Thanks in advance

Hi, congratulations Mcphee. You will be intitled to 6 weeks at 90% of your salary and then 33 weeks of smp(statutory maternity pay) which is currently a whopping £128.50p per week!! Also child benefit which is about £20 a week if 1st child. You can take a year off but won't get paid after 39 weeks. Your employer has to keep job open for you!

Hi McPhee, and congratulations.

That same as what bump6 has said re maternity pay and leave.

They have to keep your job open for you under the same contracted terms and conditions as you have now. If you want to return to work with the baby, your employers are not obliged to offer it, but I know a lot who are happy to - you would need a revised contract though. You are entitled to request part-time/flexible working but whether you get it is up to your employer.

By law you are entitled to time off for medical antenatal appointments and scans etc. I believe you are entitled time of for antenatal yoga and other classes but personally I think that is taking the piss a bit. (I did all of mine outside of work)

Thank you. I was worried that because its a private job I'd be up the swanny.

Your employers can also claim all of it (plus a little bit extra) from the government, so apart from the cost of hiring a temp nanny they're not going to be out of pocket either.

Congratulations! Hope you're not too sick x

Congratulations! As long as your employer's have done everything properly wrt NI you're fine. It doesn't make a difference how you got the job or how many staff the employer has from your POV.

Thank you everyone. Well tomorrow is D-day, and I'll be telling her I'm pregnant. Fingers crossed for a positive response. I do know that she's recently switched from using nannytax to doing it all herself. Bet now she'll wish she hadn't

Good luck Mcphee. Sure she will be really happy for you. I remember feeling the same when I told mine..She was really pleased for me. It will be a nice challenge to sort out your maternity pay!!!

Should also add, you don't have to tell your employer now. Many people wait until their 12 week scan. I didn't. Thats still plenty of notice. Good luck.

Well I've not been feeling too brill, so think if I tell her now then maybe some things can be adjusted. Things like carrying huge baskets of dirty laundry downstairs I'm not too happy about doing, and their house is huge so there are a lot of stairs!