If I ^was^ to get pregnant...

[ARGHtoAHHH]

Hello,

Hope I am posting in the right place.

At the moment, and since June 2013, I have been working as an hourly paid member of staff, covering secondments and generally moving around the office. I love working here, but I am starting to think about whether I would like to start planning a second baby.

I do not have a contract here, although I have asked several times and always been refused. I have been assured that my place here is safe, for at least another year, and very likely after. They like me and I like them, and I do believe I am fairly safe (as can be, without a contract)

I wondered if anyone has any knowledge on what I would be entitled to, maternity leave / pay wise?

I have checked out the policies, and they do not seem to have one for hourly paid admin staff, only hourly paid academic staff (I work at a college)

Does this mean I am not entitled to anything?

Thank you for reading and thanks in advance for any replies :)

What on earth reason are they giving you for refusing to give you a contract? You are entitled to one after two months in a job, or at least a "written statement of particulars" which has your main terms and conditions on it.

Having a written contract wouldn't make you more or less "safe". It might entitle you to more notice if they decide to terminate your employment, but your employment rights don't depend on whether you have a written contract or not.

I can't see how whether you have an hourly rate or an annual salary makes any difference to the maternity policy really. Anyway, everyone is entitled to a year maternity leave. If you've been employed for 26 weeks by the 15th week before your due date and earn enough, you will get statutory maternity pay, so the only questions is whether any enhanced maternity pay offered by the college applies to you. The admin one you've found should have terms and conditions on it about any length of service or other requirements.

Thank you, flowery

Yes, I know, its weird how they refuse to give me a contract. The last excuse they gave me was because I am covering someone who is on a secondment, and they "don't give contracts" for this. I often wonder if its becasue they think I may want to have another baby, and do not want to have to deal with maternity etc. I really know NOTHING about employment and rights and contracts etc...when I read stuff about it I am bamboozled.

So thank you for explaining. So I am entitled to something...been here for over a year now, and worked here before I had my first child, which would have been 3 years ago now...

They don't get to decide that they "don't give contracts"! It's a legal requirement!

So you worked there three years ago, did you leave then, and come back last year?

I started in 2011, as a temp from an agency. Then I interviewed internally to cover someone's maternity leave. Then got pregnant myself. My contract finished after I went on maternity leave.

Then when DS was 8 months old, I returned to the college to cover someone who was on long term sick. This person decided to leave the college completely, and the role was advertised as a full time secondment (I am part time so didn't go for it). The person who got the role was internal, and now I am covering her role (albeit part time)

Hope that makes sense!

That makes sense. If you had been employed directly by them for 6 months by 15 weeks before your due date with your first child, and were earning enough, you would have been entitled to 39 weeks statutory maternity pay even if your contract ended sooner than that.