1 yr contact and Maternity leave?

[Perpetua]

Ok...I started working for NHS in 1st week of September last year...I am now 6 wks pregnant and due the 1st week of September this year.

I am not sure if I have any maternity rights in this situation...I've looked through the NHS site and on Tiger and other places on the net and cannot seem to get any answers about a 1 yr contract...I can't imagine them renewing my contract due to my pregnancy and the timing of the delibery...although that is a bit discriminatory...I do live in the real world iykwim.

Anyone else experience this or have any advice?

Thanks.

Ah Perpetua, I remember this well. I was in exactly the same position with DS (now 3). I had a one year contract during my training as a HV and DS was born three months after the end of the contract. If my memory serves me correctly they have to give you some maternity leave and pay and if it's a course you are on allow you to return to the course once mat leave is over even if this means you recommencing on a later course.

I think once you reach 27 weeks if there's still 13+ weeks left on your contract (whatever it's for) then they have to pay you (as I say it WAS 3 years ago I was in this position so I might not be completely accurate here).Got a feeling it may be at the lower rate though. It would be worth phoning your personnel department for a meeting with one of their advisors - they should be able to tell you for certain.

Hope that helps

Mandy

That DOES help...thank you very much!
I know alot of things are changing and the midwife told me as long as I have worked there for 6 months by such and such date that I have maternity rightd but in my shock over testing positive I forgot to mention to her that it was only a 1 year contract!

I am going to keep quiet until March and then I'll definitly get an appt. with personnel as you've suggested.

Thanks!

Me too with NHS and on mat leave. You'll be, if I'm correct, entitled to SMP (because you will be over the required weeks of employment needed at x weeks before confinement) but you will not get any further payments. Our mat policy is SMP only if worked under 2yrs (this is not consectutive service, i.e. transfer from another nhs trust) or not returning to work. If over 2yrs then it's full pay for 13 weeks, half pay for 13wks, then no pay for 26wks but accrue annual leave (?)- with this must return to work for min of one day a week for 3mths to avoid requests for repayments - not that this has ever happened.

Don't forget you are also entitled to any annual leave that you'll accrue whilst on mat leave if it falls within your contract.

get hold of the Trust policy and have a look, should be able to do this without anyone seeing what you are doing.

Don't forget that you need to think of the risks and get risk assessment done too. I guess it's not so bad if you are office base - I was on direct line with very abusive and challenging patients so felt needed to tell at least one person as soon as I knew - so work knew at 9wks, only one person that I trusted to look after me!

I guess it depends on what you are doing whether contract reviewed but if they like you and think you're doing a good job there's a good chance.

Oh, and you should not be treated any different because of your contract regards antenatal appts, flexible working, shorter days, space to rest (should all be covered in RA)

hth