A friend is currently expecting her first baby and planning to start ML in September. She works in two different posts within the same institution, both part time. One is a fixed term contract due to end at the end of December, the other ends in Feb but is expected to be renewed (it?s a rolling contract sort of thing). Her husband is waiting to hear about posts in the US (he?s an academic) and it may be that they will move to the States in the spring.
She?s been advised that she can get mat pay from both her posts, and we get 90% for 13 weeks. They?ve also said that if they offer to extend her renewing contract and she says no (because they?re moving to the US) she will have to pay back any mat pay over the statutory minimum. Is this right? Given that the contract is due to end in Feb, can they force her to accept an extension or have to pay back the mat money? Effectively, they?re saying that she wouldn?t get any mat pay over the statutory minimum, because she?s on a fixed contract. Is that fair? They effectively have to offer her a renewal of contract, since she would otherwise be discriminated against, but she may want her contract to come to an end if they're emigrating.