Being signed off during qualifying week for Stat May Pay?

[Run247]

I have just got off the phone with a clinical psychologist who believe I am experiencing mental burnout, and possible clinical depression.

Since covid started last year I've had

• two missed miscarriages, requiring surgery
• currently 18 weeks pregnant but had a lot of bleeding at the start so had expected another miscarriage
• gone through a redundancy process at work (but I survived it)
• devastated that I haven't seen my family in Australia since my son was a baby - he's now 3
• upset that I won't see my family and friends in Oz until god knows when
• dealing with a very headstrong threenager 😬
• a possible house move (though struggling to find the right place to move l, with schools to consider for threenager- where we are now is a small terrace but surrounded by outstanding end good schools). We are priced out of our current area even though our current house would sell fast.

I've now hit rock bottom. Can't remember conversations at home or work. Don't want to leave the house. Don't want to exercise (it used to be my lifeblood). Don't want to see friends. Can't concentrate on work or remember anything I need to do day to day.

The psychologist has suggested the GP signs me off for two weeks. I would do this in a heart beat but I'm not sure if this would affect my maternity pay given I'm now smack in the middle of the SMP qualifying week.

I do get paid contractual / normal salary sick pay but I worry that being off will affect my
Maternity pay.

Can anybody shed some light please?

Thank you

The potential impact on your maternity pay is that the first 8 weeks will be calculated based on your wage during the qualifying period, so it completely depends on your entitlement to sick pay - have you 'used up' all your paid sickness absence entitlement at work yet? If you had two weeks off sick, would you receive full pay?

Thanks Giblet, I do get full sick pay but I'm not sure on the cap of days. I'm not entirely sure there is one but I will need to check. I had 3 days off in the past year for miscarriages but don't remember taking any more. I will check the HR system though.

It'll vary from company to company but you should be able to find it set out clearly in a policy or handbook. If you've only had three days off in the past year then I doubt you've got much to worry about but your HR team should be able to double check for you if nothing else.

Only other thing to look out for is whether it refers to a calendar year, or a rolling year.

Thanks Gilbert, I'll take a look at the handbook. I think the sick year rolls jan to dec and I don't think we actually have a specified limit, just that any absence over 2 days needs a doctor note. Fingers crossed!