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Original poster

Maternity rights to time in lieu?

78 replies

Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 10:41

Genuinely not sure where else to ask as am getting conflicting views from HR, ACAS, pregnant then screwed and others at work!

my workplace has summer hours every year from May - August. It’s where you can finish work at 12 every Friday.

Before I went on maternity leave a co-worker said to me to make sure I check whether summer hours are going ahead this year as I should be entitled to those half days accumulated as annual leave during maternity leave, since other staff members benefit from them.

HR have said no as it’s not a contractual benefit, however ACAS said it might meet the threshold, pregnant then screwed said I should be able to claim those hours back. So am a bit stuck and wanted to see if anyone on here had this before in terms of workplace ‘benefits’ on Mat leave.

Thank you in advance

OP posts:
TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 10:42

What’s been the case with others going on maternity leave?

Original poster
Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 10:50

TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 10:42

What’s been the case with others going on maternity leave?

No one else has taken maternity and claimed this, so nothing in terms of president.

HR said i was the first to even ask

OP posts:
TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 10:53

So how long has this holiday hours situation gone on?

and how big the company?

TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 10:53

And is it in your contract? The holiday hours?

Original poster
Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 11:00

TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 10:53

So how long has this holiday hours situation gone on?

and how big the company?

Very large company.

Summer hours have been in place for at least 5 years (were kind of done before then but not in the same format)

it’s non contractual, which is what HR are going off, however pregnant then screwed mentioned that people working and not on maternity leave are essentially getting 8 days of extra annual leave.

HR have said because this is a take it or lose it benefit and not ‘accruable’ holiday it doesn’t count the same way my normal leave does.

OP posts:
TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 11:03

Very large company

a policy 5 years in place

man’s you are saying that no one has gone on maternity leave in 5 years? 🤔

LamentedHelicopter · 09/05/2023 11:10

What would happen if someone had to work Friday afternoon? Could they take Thursday afternoon off?

Iwrote · 09/05/2023 11:17

If someone wanted to book a Friday off would they book 7.5 hours or 3.75?

PegSliderskew · 09/05/2023 11:48

TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 11:03

Very large company

a policy 5 years in place

man’s you are saying that no one has gone on maternity leave in 5 years? 🤔

No, she's saying no one has gone on maternity leave and asked about claiming back these particular hours.

Original poster
Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 12:11

TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 11:03

Very large company

a policy 5 years in place

man’s you are saying that no one has gone on maternity leave in 5 years? 🤔

Nope. If you read correctly no one has requested this before. Many people go on maternity leave every week.

OP posts:
Original poster
Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 12:11

Iwrote · 09/05/2023 11:17

If someone wanted to book a Friday off would they book 7.5 hours or 3.75?

They’d book 3.75

OP posts:
Original poster
Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 12:12

LamentedHelicopter · 09/05/2023 11:10

What would happen if someone had to work Friday afternoon? Could they take Thursday afternoon off?

It would be line manager s discrediting

OP posts:
Original poster
Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 12:12

Line mangers discretion*

OP posts:
TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 13:18

PegSliderskew · 09/05/2023 11:48

No, she's saying no one has gone on maternity leave and asked about claiming back these particular hours.

Show quote history

Which is also 🤔

dozens of women, dozens of women, some very senior presumably… and not one pursued this in 5 years?

TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 13:19

Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 12:12

Line mangers discretion*

In which case, it’s not a contractual benefit

Changedmynameforthis55 · 09/05/2023 13:38

My work had a similar thing- a wellbeing day (day off) every quarter that was non contractual and in addition to annual leave. I was given it as extra entitlement on return as if not it was discriminatory

Original poster
Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 13:54

TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 13:19

In which case, it’s not a contractual benefit

Show quote history

No shit Sherlock, I’ve already stated it’s not contractual

OP posts:
Original poster
Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 13:54

Changedmynameforthis55 · 09/05/2023 13:38

My work had a similar thing- a wellbeing day (day off) every quarter that was non contractual and in addition to annual leave. I was given it as extra entitlement on return as if not it was discriminatory

Thank you for this!

OP posts:
justanothernamechangemonday · 09/05/2023 13:56

OP for someone who needs help, you're being very rude.

This is clearly not a contractual setup, so I highly doubt you're entitled to it on top of Mat leave.

I work in a demanding role and my LM gives me a week extra annual leave each year. I start Mat leave soon and won't be asking for my extra week - it's a perk not a benefit and I'd not be working additional hours to be entitled to it.

Original poster
Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 14:06

justanothernamechangemonday · 09/05/2023 13:56

OP for someone who needs help, you're being very rude.

This is clearly not a contractual setup, so I highly doubt you're entitled to it on top of Mat leave.

I work in a demanding role and my LM gives me a week extra annual leave each year. I start Mat leave soon and won't be asking for my extra week - it's a perk not a benefit and I'd not be working additional hours to be entitled to it.

Hardly rude, if someone wants to continually not bother reading that’s on them :)

thankfully there have been some helpful replies

OP posts:
TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 14:07

justanothernamechangemonday · 09/05/2023 13:56

OP for someone who needs help, you're being very rude.

This is clearly not a contractual setup, so I highly doubt you're entitled to it on top of Mat leave.

I work in a demanding role and my LM gives me a week extra annual leave each year. I start Mat leave soon and won't be asking for my extra week - it's a perk not a benefit and I'd not be working additional hours to be entitled to it.

i imagine her colleagues will be breathing a big sigh of relief soon enough 😂

Added to which, we all know that not a chance is the Op going to swing this

Original poster
Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 14:07

Also@justanothernamechangemonday your set up is completely different. It’s a personal perk, not one every employee gets, thus it wouldn’t be discrimination to not allow you to benefit from it on maternity leave.

OP posts:
Original poster
Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 14:09

TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 14:07

i imagine her colleagues will be breathing a big sigh of relief soon enough 😂

Added to which, we all know that not a chance is the Op going to swing this

Show quote history

I’ve been on maternity leave for 4 months already and they’re itching for me to return so nice try.

Thankfully I’ve had some helpful replies here and a couple of private messages from people with similar perks that were entitled to it when back off maternity leave.

id recommend working on your reading skills

OP posts:
TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 14:10

What I have read is this this is a “very large company” and this half day Friday has been going on for 5 years

and in that time not one person going on maternity or paternity leave has pursued this. That would have included juniors, middle management and senior management, and indeed many HR personnel themselves no doubt.

why - because they know that this is a non contractual benefit that can be withdrawn on a Friday morning if the company so wished

TuesandThursNero · 09/05/2023 14:13

Arcticpuff · 09/05/2023 10:50

No one else has taken maternity and claimed this, so nothing in terms of president.

HR said i was the first to even ask

Show quote history

Even within HR over five years - likely a significant number have gone on maternity leave, and because they know they have squat all right to get what you want - they haven’t asked