Is my boss acting okay?

[Nokolite]

I told my boss I’m pregnant about a week ago. Also asked what kind of pregnancy policy she has - how long would be my maternity leave and how much would I get paid etc. No response for a couple of days. Then she got back to me saying she will of course pay me maternity. No answer how long and how much etc. Also she recently asked me to do 10 hours a day instead of 8. So I asked her if she could put those new hours in my contract me. To that which she replied : I understand. It will also give you more money when you're on maternity leave. Why am I feeling she’s being sarcastic? I’m only asking for those hours to be in a contract as what’s going to happen is when it comes to maternity leave I will only be paid for 8 hours although my hours are 10 now.
my husband says I should give her more time to sort it but I’m giving birth in about 3.5 months and I’m feeling anxious.
also just to add - my company is really little, just myself and my boss. I’m her only employee.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Are you in the UK? How long have you worked for this employer? What does your contract say? If you’ve only just told her and you’re due in 3.5 months I’m assuming that you’re brand new in the job and so you will not be entitled to SMP.

Did you tell her before your 25th week of pregnancy? I think for stat pay you need to tell them by the 15th week before your due date.

If you are in the uk legally you can take one year leave, if your boss doesn’t offer enhanced maternity pay then I think it’s 6 weeks at 90% pay and then 33 weeks stat pay then final 13 weeks unpaid if you wanted the full year. Assuming you worked for them before you became pregnant. Otherwise it’s maternity allowance.

I could be slightly wrong with details though and you need to earn enough but if you work 10hr days I’m assuming you do.

I’m in UK, I’ve been working for her for 2 years and 10 months.

Is it okay for her not to tell me exactly what’s her maternity policy is and her not wanting to put 10 hours in my contract? At the moment it’s 8 although I’m doing 10. Am I right to keep asking for it?

Why didn’t you tell her until 3.5 months before birth? You’ve missed the cut off for when you legally have to inform your employer.

Maternity policy should be in your contract, if it's not then it will just be SMP but if you’ve been working only 8 hours per week in the qualifying weeks unless you’re on a high hourly rate then you will not have met the earning threshold to be eligible for SMP.

Hours, again, depends on what it says in your contract. At this stage of pregnancy your contract is irrelevant, SMP is calculated on your earnings in the qualifying weeks, IF they are high enough to meet the threshold.

I was 20.5 weeks when I told her so I haven’t missed the cut off date?

Ah so you’re half way through pregnancy roughly now?

What about the other points from my reply? If only working 8 hours per week you may not be meeting the earnings threshold to be eligible for SMP. What does your contract say about maternity pay?

I do 8 hours a day but work 2 days which is 16 hours but she’s recently asked me to do 10 hour days so 20 hours total. When I asked her to put those hours in my contract (10 instead of 8) she’s said : i understand, that will give you more money on maternity leave. And she hasn’t corrected my contract since. So I’m doing 10 hours days but will be screwed as when maternity comes she will pay based on contract which is 8 hours. I just thought her behaviour was weird.
there is nothing about maternity cover in my contract, nothing. The whole thing feels off

Your maternity pay is not dictated by your contract, it’s dictated by your actual pay during your qualifying weeks. So the contract is irrelevant.

If not in your contract I’d assume that it will be basic SMP to be paid so if you confirm that with your employer then you can work out the breakdown on the government website.

Me?
nope, I’m a bookkeeper.

Correct. Your may pay is based on your pay in the qualifying week, ie 15 weeks before the baby’s due date. So you need to work 20 hours that week (at least). Info below from Maternity Action on how you calculate this date:

Find the Sunday before the day the baby is due or the due day if that is a Sunday. Count back 15 Sundays from there. This Sunday is the start of the 15th week before the week the baby is due – it is known as the Qualifying Week.

When she asked you to do 10 hour days, did she say she'd increase your pay?

Those seem like awfully long days - couldn't you do the same number of hours over more days?

So does that mean I would be paid more if my boss had maternity cover put in my contract but as it’s not there I will just get basic smp?
that does sound pretty bad. It is not my fault she’s never had an employee before and didn’t prepare for the fact that her employee could get pregnant.
it doesn’t seem like a place of work I would want to continue working much longer.

She pays me by hour.

im trying to do those hours in just 2 days as my son goes to nursery 2 days only.

No, your contract is irrelevant, it’s based on how much you actually earned during your qualifying weeks.

Your boss does not have to provide any enhanced maternity, that is her choice, the basic (if eligible) is SMP.

Average pay for the eight weeks before the qualifying week, yes. Both things need to be worked out.

It sounds as if you'll get the basic statutory maternity pay.

www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/pay