Maternity leave again

[WeyAyeMan]

Hi all hoping for some advice please. I'm currently on maternity leave due to return in March however this is flexible, have 10 KIT days I can use before then. My baby is 8 months old and maternity leave becomes zero pay on 11th Jan.

I've just found out I'm pregnant again, obviously very very early so I don't feel comfortable approaching HR yet (very small school HR is one woman gossip)

I've worked out that I'll roughly be due mid august, looking at the policy it says you get full maternity pay after 26 weeks consecutive service. I've worked there 7 years, would this mean consecutive service as in I need to return for atleast 26 weeks before being entitled to maternity leave again? Or just worked there in total more than 26 weeks?

This is all I can see in the policy and I'm finding it very confusing

Thank you in advance

Sorry, just re read the policy and it's continuous service. Not consecutive

Still clueless though!

Hi yes I've been ib this position you need to be back at work a full 26 weeks to be eligible for maternity pay again. I just made it by 3 days

You count as employed through your maternity leave so you should still count as employed for over 26 weeks.

I don’t know if this will affect you (as if it’s an enhanced maternity package it might differ between employers) but for mine they based the SMP calculations on my earnings at 18 weeks of pregnancy, so if you haven’t gone back by the time you are 18 weeks pregnant that could affect it.

You would be entitled to maternity pay again based on your length in service, but your maternity calculation is based on certain weeks in your pregnancy so if these fall when you are on SMP or zero pay now then you wont receive much at all next time.

Back at work as in not on mat leave, you can be on annual leave. I came off maternity leave in May, used annual leave until August, worked August - November and went off on mat leave again in December

If you receive enhanced maternity pay you do need to be back for 26 weeks to get it again.

You haven't done a screenshot of what the OMP criteria is. Does it specify anything different?

Oh I don't get any annual leave, as my role is term time only.

I'll see if this policy has any j
Information about what type of maternity pay it is, I just can't make sense of it and it took me 8 months to get hold of this policy, their communication has been shocking!

Looks like it will be on the page after the one you have posted

@MalbecandToast

If you receive enhanced maternity pay you do need to be back for 26 weeks to get it again.

This is entirely down to your employer's policy. Mine doesn't have this, no obligation to pay back enhanced maternity leave even if you never come back

Thank you for the replies. Attached more screenshots

That's everything I can see in the policy, I just can't seem to unpick it.

I was hoping not to go back before March but maybe will need to 😩😂

And you will qualify for leave again as you are still employed while on maternity leave
Maternity pay depends on wages in weeks 17-25 of pregnancy or whatever the OMP section says

Your first screenshot was point 2.3.2 and that talked about OMP. Can you find the page directly after that as you've jumped further on in your other screenshots

@dementedpixie

And you will qualify for leave again as you are still employed while on maternity leave Maternity pay depends on wages in weeks 17-25 of pregnancy or whatever the OMP section says

So i won't have to go back before March?

Then come august I'll still qualify for the full maternity package I've had this time?

I also don't know how a due date in august would work. As technically it's the school holidays then anyway

@dementedpixie

Your first screenshot was point 2.3.2 and that talked about OMP. Can you find the page directly after that as you've jumped further on in your other screenshots

This should be it

Sorry to be a pain with all the screen shots, can't post the full policy as it identifies my workplace

Ahhh I see its perhaps different where I am then as we are paid full pay for 26 weeks.

Leave and Pay are separate though. You qualify for leave regardless of how long you've been there. Pay is different and depends what is says on the page after the one you first posted

@MalbecandToast

Ahhh I see its perhaps different where I am then as we are paid full pay for 26 weeks.

I spread my pay over 33 weeks so ended up only getting my full pay for one week!

I fell pregnant again at the exact same time, I only went back to work for 12 weeks before going on maternity leave and was paid fully, it made no difference. Hopefully it's the same for you OP Congrats!

@dementedpixie

Leave and Pay are separate though. You qualify for leave regardless of how long you've been there. Pay is different and depends what is says on the page after the one you first posted

That's the next page

@Bluepop09

I fell pregnant again at the exact same time, I only went back to work for 12 weeks before going on maternity leave and was paid fully, it made no difference. Hopefully it's the same for you OP Congrats!

Thank you, was this a school?

Your maternity pay will be based on what you earn in weeks 17-25 of pregnancy. So if you're on nil pay for some of those weeks, it'll lower the average salary and thus your mat pay.
Also be careful about how long you need to be back at work in order to not repay your OMP - this is normally 13 weeks at your pre-maternity level (so if you return part time having previously been full time, you have to work longer than 13 weeks).

Are you a teacher or support staff?
Both are required to return to work for a period of time so they don't need to pay back the extra OMP
Support staff - 3 months
Teacher- 13 weeks

Have you read what you posted?