HR annoyances

[YBR]

I'm only 4 months preg, and an HR Admin person is chasing me for an internal form "as I need you to confirm the date you wish to start your maternity leave." Meanwhile she's not answering various questions of mine.

Now AFAIK I don't have to let them know my plans until I'm 25 weeks; I'd rather they didn't bully me so early. Ya see my DH is soon-to-be unemployed so I'm praying the uncertainty will decrease before I have to decide about Maternity Leave.

I wondered if anyone had any experience/advice on dealing with an incompetant HR dept?

I was helpfully made redundant just before I found out I was expecting, so don't have any first hand experience. But you might want to direct her to the maternity leave pages of www.direct.gov.uk (sorry can't get link to work for some reason!).

It states there that you have to confirm by 15 weeks prior to your due date, so it does sound as if she is being a little over efficient in wanting to get all her paperwork filed away right now

Also, do you have an employee handbook that states your employers maternity policy? I suspect that might reiterate the 25 week rule and hence buy you the bit of time/space that you need.

You won't be issued with the MATB1 form till 25 weeks, so just tell them you can't make anything official until you get that form.

Why don't you just tell her you haven't decided yet? And say you'll contact her at least 15 weeks before your due date? Then she'll know you know your stuff :-) Sounds like she just wants to do the paperwork she needs to do and tick it off her 'to do' list.

my HR department are completely silent about my leave.. but I did read in our policy that I have to give 8 weeks notice.. not tell them at 25 weeks. My line manager knows my plans but I'm not telling them anything official yet.

if she's still chasing you, I'd be deaf to her!!

katy

15 weeks from due date (so 25 weeks) is part of maternity law for you to be entitled to SMP. That aspect is not down to the company. No matter how silent your HR dept don't risk leaving it any later just in case. I chase my hr dept down as I did everything within time but received no confirmation it was just as well as theyd made no notes on my file-no good as we're going through contract changes and potential re structuring!

Thanks for all your comments. I'm continuing to chase up answers to my questions (we have flexible benefits - trying to get them to confirm how this affects maternity pay).

I've dug out the letter and form they sent me and (apart from failing to enclose the Maternity procedure) it says return the company form with the MATB1.

I should get the MATB1 at the 20 week scan, It can't be issued earlier (source: DirectGov). The company form says "I enclose herewith my MAT B1..." so she cannot expect it yet. I'll remind her of that! HR do know my EDD according to the 12 week scan but their arithmatic might be crap.

KatyN 8 weeks is usually to do with giving notice of when you're returning from Maternity leave if it's earlier than the year.