Working out maternity pay

[nugget396]

Hi,

I am having an absolute brain melt trying to work out my maternity pay and would really appreciate some help! I am due beginning of March 2020 and am hoping to hang on at work until a month/few weeks before my due date.

My contract states I am entitled to:

6 weeks of full pay
12 weeks of half pay plus SMP
21 weeks of SMP
13 weeks of unpaid leave

Perhaps someone who is better at maths than me can help me work it out?

I work 36 hours per week as a teacher, and with an annual salary of £33,194, including London pay weighting. My take home pay per month after tax and deductions is roughly £2,120.

I'm entitled to 288 hours (40 days) annual leave per year so will be saving these to use while I'm on mat leave.

Basically I'd really appreciate if someone could help me work out roughly what I'll be getting per month throughout my maternity leave so that I can budget accordingly. I should be moving in with my partner just before or after baby arrives so will hopefully be splitting everything, as currently I pay £1200 rent myself, not inclusive of bills!

Thanks so much
xxx

I'm a teacher too. Get same Maternity Pay as you.

I found it really difficult to work out but if you contact payroll then they are required to give you a break down of what you get each month! One of our admin staff contacted them for me but you can call them yourself. I get nothing for the last three months!

Are these Burgundy Book standard terms? I am also a teacher, salary almost identical but this isn’t the same as mine; I get two weeks full, 4 weeks 90% and 12 weeks half but not with SMP I don’t think.

Also didn’t think any teachers got annual leave allowance - what about the school holidays?

@AnnieCat84 Thank you so much, I will do what you've suggested. I really want to find out but am holding off on telling my college and line manager until at least September. I go back to work for the new term at the end of August but might go and speak to payroll and just ask them not to disclose anything yet.

@GivenchyDahhling I'm a college lecturer so maybe slightly different? That is the Mat Leave entitlement set out in the staff policy and employment contract. I think everyone thinks teachers just get all summer off but that definitely isn't the case for us! My contract states that I'm entitled to 288 hours (40 days) annual leave per year (period runs from 1 September to 31 August), of which 5 will be directed leave determined by the College on an annual basis. I also get 8 public holidays and up to 5 Christmas closure days as determined by the College. Unfortunately for us we can only take a maximum of 3 consecutive weeks as Summer leave, and then have to go in for a day before we can take another 2-3 weeks.

Actually, teachers are entitled to 28 days annual leave in addition to their maternity leave, so long as they have not taken any holiday before or after.

So, for example, if you go on mat leave before october half term, and come back the following september, you have not had your holiday entitlement for that academic year.

You only get it if you ask for it though.

I get two weeks full, 4 weeks 90% and 12 weeks half but not with SMP I don’t think.

It’s plus SMP unless that would be more than would usually be earned on full pay.

Your gross weekly pay is £638. SMP is about £142 per week at the moment.

I’m not sure what’s so hard to work out?

£638 for 6 weeks
£319+£142 for 12 weeks
£142 for 21 weeks
Then zero for 13 weeks.

Less usual deductions.

@SayNoToCarrots thank you for this! I had no idea!

@saynotocarrots Gosh, have just looked this up on the NEU advice and you’re right! It looks like it only applies in a very small number of cases though because assuming most teachers return to work at some point before the summer holidays, the 28 days will be directed as being within that period.

However, I’m officially starting maternity leave on the 4th September so if I do take the whole year as I’m entitled to then I would be entitled to the 28 days - how interesting. Except financially think I would be better off going back for eg the last week before the summer hols and going back onto my full salary.

Sorry to derail @nugget396! I actually have only a vague idea of what I’ll get each month so should probably take the good advice you’ve been given and get payroll to provide a breakdown.

Go to the government website for maternity pay, I work in wages and this is what I use to work it out. It really straight forward

The .gov website has a calculator for employers that you can use to work out how much SMP you will be entitled to and breaks it down into a monthly or weekly payment. That should be able to help you work it out

www.gov.uk/maternity-paternity-calculator

@GivenchyDahhling - for you I think it would be better to return to work on the last day of the summer term as there are 30 days in a six week holiday anyway, and most HR have no idea what you are talking about at first so it's less faff.

Go to the government website for maternity pay, I work in wages and this is what I use to work it out. It really straight forward

That only works for SMP. The OP is entitled to more than SMP.

@MoreSlidingDoors Thanks, not hard to work out but I think I was just confusing myself as this is my first baby so completely lacking in any knowledge or understanding of mat leave and pay!

@Bambamber Thanks for this link. I have filled it out and it has provided the following SMP calculation. Do I then add my normal pay to this or is this inclusive of my monthly pay? (Sorry for potentially v stupid questions).

25 February 2020 £164.15
25 March 2020 £2380.13
25 April 2020 £1327.61
25 May 2020 £637.20
25 June 2020 £658.44
25 July 2020 £637.20
25 August 2020 £658.44
25 September 2020 £658.44
25 October 2020 £637.20
25 November 2020 £594.72

Doesn’t half pay plus SMP end up as more though because on half pay you’re paying less PAYE, NI, pension and student loan (if that applies)?

That is the SMP only, so you will add your additional wages. If I remember correctly you don't get your SMP until your half pay starts, so the first 6 weeks of your maternity leave will be your full wage alone, and then the SMP begins at the same time as your half pay begins. So you will add your half wage to the SMP figures given by the calculator

@GivenchyDahhling @bambamber I must be so dopey because I think I'm even more confused now! I'm just going to speak to payroll when I get back to work at the end of August and get them to give me a very clear breakdown of what I will take home at the end of every month during my Mat leave. Thank you for your help everyone x

The advice here is all over the place.

You get SMP during the full pay, but the equivalent is deducted from your pay because you can’t be better off on maternity than you would be at work.

Half pay plus SMP is usually still less than full pay, dedications don’t factor into it.

I don’t think it’s helpful to calculate SMP and then add full pay to it. My method is simpler.

get them to give me a very clear breakdown of what I will take home at the end of every month during my Mat leave.

They will only give you gross figures. Not take home.