Unsure about my employment status regarding maternity pay

[MrsHuxtable]

I need some MN wisdom regarding my employment status. My problem is that I don't know whether I would be classed as a casual worker or an employee (I'm sure it makes a difference in terms of my right to maternity pay)and no amount of research so far has helped me clarify my situation.
I'm anxious to ask my employer as I don't want to alert him to the fact that I'm planning to get pregnant in the near future.

I've been working in a deli/cafe/greengrocer for the last three years on a part time basis but will soon be increasing my hours to almost full-time. My shifts are fixed and the same each week, pay is slightly above minimum wage and we get paid in cash weekly. The tax code on my pay slip is 647L. I get 4 weeks paid holidays and sick pay if I was ill.

I don't know how to describe my employment status any better but can answer questions to clarify.

Please...Does anyone have a clue????

What makes you think you might not be an employee? There doesn't seem to be anything 'casual' about your employment (not that that would necessarily be a problem anyway).

I'm a pessimist, that's what makes me doubtful. Plus DH comment of "Oh, in a job like that, you're most likely just a worker, not an employee." No one else at work seems to have a clue either.

If I was just a worker, would I still be entitled to SMP?

You are not just a worker! Your DH is being unhelpful, what does he mean 'a job like that'? A job like what? Sounds like a perfectly normal kind of job to me!

Sorry I'm just slightly taken aback that anyone you speak to thinks you are not employed if you work somewhere continously for 3 years!

For the avoidance of any doubt, please read the definitions below.

employees

worker

Hi MrsHuxtable

I'm a payroll "expert" and it certainly sounds to me that you are an employee.

As long as you earn more than £97 per week or £421 a month, you will be entitled to SMP.
Please do check your holiday entitlement though. You should get 5.6 weeks per year, but these can include Bank Holidays - make sure you're not getting short changed!

Hope that helps.

And remember as small business your employer will get most or proabably all of SMP refunded so it won't cost them anything when you go - apart from recruiting someome to cover you