Maternity coming up...part time contract, working full time hours

[Redovwrcoat]

Hello all

Hope you can help. I'm pretty crap at stuff like this.

I'm due end of Jan.

I am officially a part time member of staff but I've been working full time hours since January of this year. The extra hours are added to my wage via a weekly overtime form. I've asked for a full time contract twice but it hasn't transpired.

I asked my manager if my maternity pay or leave would be effected by my extra hours and he said no. I've been told by a friend that this shouldn't be the case, that they should take into account the extra hours I've been doing for nearly 10 months.

I've had a read of the maternity policy and it says:

Maternity Leave - All female members of staff are entitled to 26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave and a further 26 weeks of Additional Maternity Leave. You may also be entitled to Enhanced or Statutory Maternity Pay during this period.

Do I fall under the Enhanced Maternity Pay? Am I entitled to anything other than part time maternity pay for 26 weeks? I'm quote confused, any help would be gracefully received x

Two separate issues1) Statutory Maternity Pay 2) Enhanced Maternity Pay.

1. Statutory Maternity Pay

• first 6 weeks @ 90% of salary or £151.97 if higher.
• Remaining 33 weeks at £151.97.

The 90% is based on average earnings during the 8 week period ending 15th week before expected date of child birth. So if you work full time during this period that is the salary used. I know this sounds complicated so use this calculator www.gov.uk/maternity-paternity-pay-leave

1. Enhanced maternity pay

This will be contractual and so you need to check your contract or employers maternity pay policy. Typically enhanced maternity pay “tops up” SMP to normal salary. Usually the same 8 weeks used for SMP are also used to calculate the top up.

My advice is to keep working full time until November and use the calculator to check out your SMP entitlement based on your current monthly pay. Make sure you submit your maternity leave and pay details before the 15th week before expected week of childbirth.

At that point contact HR and ask for confirmation of enhanced maternity pay policy. If necessary come back here with more details.

HTH

Thank you so much for this, Alpine. Really useful information

Can I ask you to clarify what you mean by

Make sure you submit your maternity leave and pay details before the 15th week before expected week of childbirth

Does this mean when I inform my manager about my pregnancy? All the management already knows...but do I need to do something else?

To be eligible for SMP you must notify your employer (in writing) before 15th week before childbirth of the dates you plan to take your maternity leave

Basically write/email to say this is when I plan to start mat leave. You can change dates e.g. if baby is born early.

Thank you for clarifying. I did this a few weeks ago so all good. X