Maternity pay after company takeover

[Mrskbpw]

Last year the company I work for was taken over by another huge, international company.

Our old maternity pay was 26 weeks full pay, then 13 weeks SMP.

I've just checked the new one and it seems to be 13 weeks full pay, then 13 weeks half pay, then SMP.

Obviously, this isn't as good as the old company's maternity pay and is a bit of a blow as we are planning to try for another baby.

BUT, I'm wondering if I would still get the old benefit? Does anyone know? Is there any sort of protection of benefits when a company is taken over? Seems unfair that we'd lose out because our company was sold...

You should have been notified if you are under TUPE conditions which would protect any benefits from your old contract - has happened to me twice but I have always had formal written notification.

Your terms and conditions are protected under TUPE in the event of a takeover and you should have been notified at the time. That would include maternity pay if it's contractual which it may not be.

I don't remember having any notification of TUPE. They kept calling it a 'merger' rather than a takeover, even though we were bought out, so I wonder if that makes a difference. We became a new company, with a new name.

We've already lost some benefits - nothing massive, just little things like being able to buy and sell holiday, or getting free magazines - so I imagine we've been screwed on maternity pay, too. However we are not allowed to complain about this because We Are Lucky To Have Kept Our Jobs. Pah.

Pah indeed!

I really don't know enough about it to advise and wouldn't want to get it wrong but we stay on old terms until there is any other reason to change our contracts - promotion, job change etc - when they can put us on the new T&Cs.

Hope someone can help!