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Original poster

When should I be informed about maternity pay?

16 replies

samidolls · 26/09/2017 15:00

I'm 23 weeks and told my employer I was pregnant at 12 weeks.

It's a privately owned company (that has been running for 30+ years with the current owners at the helm for 17 years) and this is the first time they have had to organise maternity leave/pay.

They wrote me a letter acknowledging that I had told them I was pregnant and said they would inform me of my benefits and leave entitlements when I could hand in my MATB1 form.

I'm just wondering if this is normal? There is nothing in the handbook about maternity leave or pay etc other than the vague line of "government guidelines will be adhered to".

As far as I am concerned I am entitled to a full years maternity pay as I have worked for the company for over 2 years so not sure what they can say about that....

Obviously the sooner I know what I'm going to be paid and for how long, the better for us and we can budget. So how long do they have to notify me of my entitlements?

Also since I received this letter nothing has been said/slash done at work, no risk assessments which aren't they a legal requirement?

just looking for a bit of advice/experience in these matters.

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 26/09/2017 15:46

Have you given your matb1 yet?

dementedpixie · 26/09/2017 15:47

Do they offer an advanced package of 1 years pay as SMP is for 9 months pay

DoubleHelix79 · 26/09/2017 15:49

If it's a small company then they are likely to only pay you the statutory maternity pay. Check out the relevant gov.uk website - I found it quite informative and clearly written.

dementedpixie · 26/09/2017 15:51

www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/how-to-claim - you are supposed to tell them when you want your leave/pay to start and then they respond within 28 days to confirm the start/ end date

ForgetAboutSleep · 26/09/2017 15:55

Got my MATB1 form at 25 week appointment, handed it in at work and then got my maternity pay information through.
As PP has said, generally its 9 months maternity pay (of differing amounts) and 1 year maternity leave - unless your company offers pay for the full 12 months, in which case, can I come and work for them?

NameChange30 · 26/09/2017 15:56

"As far as I am concerned I am entitled to a full years maternity pay as I have worked for the company for over 2 years so not sure what they can say about that...."

LOL

When they say "government guidelines will be adhered to", they mean that they will give you the legal minimum - in other words, statutory maternity leave and pay. You don't have to wait for them to tell you what that is, you can very easily look it up yourself.

Maternity leave
Maternity pay

I'm not sure what you're expecting but you will be entitled to SMP which is 90% of your salary for the first 6 weeks and then about £140/week for 33 weeks after that. So you are paid for 39 weeks in total; the rest is unpaid.

You do accumulate annual leave while on maternity leave so you can take that at the beginning and end, and it will be paid at your standard salary.

Original poster

samidolls · 26/09/2017 15:56

I haven't seen my midwife since my 16 week appointment and the MATB1 form is only available after 20 weeks, so I'm hoping I get it at my 25 week appointment.

I have no idea what packages they offer as they have never done this before and have told me quite plainly they've never done this before.

I'm preparing to just be on statutory but hoping for more... they don't have a sick pay policy either and one of the other employees has recently been off on long term sick and got full pay for around 6 months but then this was stopped with almost no notice (3 days) and she went onto stat.

OP posts:

flowery · 26/09/2017 15:59

Not sure why you think you are entitled to a full year's maternity pay. You'll probably get statutory only, plenty of info available about that, and if you're the first one they've had it would be unusual to have a policy on it.

Yes you should get a risk assessment but many, many managers and business owners are not aware of this requirement - have you actually asked for one?

Original poster

samidolls · 26/09/2017 16:18

I meant full years maternity leave not pay!

I do not in anyway expect to get a years full pay, that would just be mental, I appreciate that. I'm hoping for 3-6 months full pay and then staged drops down to statutory.

bloody baby brain!

OP posts:

NameChange30 · 26/09/2017 17:04

Why the ?

"I'm hoping for 3-6 months full pay and then staged drops down to statutory."

On what basis are you hoping for that? Your employer has made it pretty clear they offer not more than statutory. If there was an enhanced package you'd know about it by now; it would be in your contract or employee handbook.

Gorgosparta · 26/09/2017 17:09

3-6 months full pay isnt common and in no way government guideslines.

Hand your MAT1b in. Tell them you finishing date. You will prob get 9 months smp and a years leave. Thats government guidelines. If you base it on that, anything else is a bonus.

Someone elses sick pay isnt anything to do with it.

NameChange30 · 26/09/2017 17:11

In my experience it's very unusual for private sector employers to offer enhanced packages; the only companies I've come across that do are large ones. Small/medium companies are extremely unlikely to. If your employer has literally never had an employee get pregnant and go on maternity leave, they are hardly going to be the sort of company to offer an enhanced package.

I find it weird that none of their employees have ever been pregnant, is it a male dominated industry or something?!

hiyasminitsme · 26/09/2017 17:14

You'll get 6w at 90% then SMP unless they pay more and it doesn't sound like they would.

Original poster

samidolls · 26/09/2017 17:19

for me being stupid and putting the wrong thing!

Maybe I'm being overly hopeful. But the people I work for are generally pretty good with people, and like to look after their staff. Either way I was just wanted to know how long they would take to tell me what I would get, which somebody has linked above as 28 days from handing in my form.

It's most men I work in manufacturing (although I'm in the offices/lab) so I'm the only woman of childbearing age!

Most of the other small companies I've worked for have offered packages for instance 3 months full 3 months half 3 months smp and 3 months unpaid hence why I was hoping for something like this. Obviously I've just been lucky.

my handbook is not very clear at all I have asked around at work (hr manager is the bosses wife n comes in maybe once a month so isn't about to ask) and they also think our handbook is generally unclear.

OP posts:

NameChange30 · 26/09/2017 17:24

Ah I see. I guess there could be the possibility of negotiation if they have competitors who offer enhanced packages and if they generally treat their staff well. You could argue that an enhanced package may well help them to attract and retain more female staff at a good time in their careers (as most women tend to have some experience by the time they have children but are still young enough to have years of work ahead of them). It's worth a shot I guess! Just don't hold your breath!

hiyasminitsme · 26/09/2017 19:04

They might improve it in the future to atract or retain people but I'd be amazed if they do it for you - you're in a pretty weak negotiating position. The time to have had this discussion was before you were pregnant I'm afraid. But good luck - work a try.

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