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Please help!!

5 replies

Poppins1 · 10/02/2008 20:36

My husband and I have been trying for a baby for over 3 years and had even had fertility treatment. I started working for my employer in 2004 but left and went to work somewhere else for 6 months. However they asked me to go back this new year and unbeknown to me I found out I was pregnant (YEAH!!! WOOPPEEEE!!!) massively excited about it but really scared about telling my employers. I have only been back 2 months now and I have 2 questions, do you think I should tell them straight away (they said I wasn't in probation, but that was only verbal) and also do you think I would have any maternity pay rights as I have been employed by them previously? It was just bad timing, I have worked the last 10 years since I left school and it seems really unfair that the timing was bad therefore i'm not entitled to anything

OP posts:
googler · 10/02/2008 21:56

Hi Poppins, congrats on the pregnancy! Personally, unless you think for health and safety reasons you should talk to your manager asap, I'd wait. But, make sure you don't tell colleagues as managers hate to find out from other people.
I think there is a good website about maternity rights, if you google it, I thought you had to work 6 months before you were entitled to anything, but others may know more!
Congrats again!

flowerybeanbag · 11/02/2008 09:52

poppins congratulations!

What maternity rights you have depends on how pregnant you are. Previous service won't count I'm afraid, but for statutory maternity pay you need to be employed by the same employer for 26 weeks by the time you are 25 weeks pg. See here about maternity leave, here about maternity pay and here about working while you are pregnant.

If you work out that you are not entitled to SMP, you will probably be entitled to maternity allowance, see here about that.

It may be that your employer offers some kind of enhanced occupational maternity scheme, where they pay extra, more than the statutory amount. These schemes normally require employees to have a certain length of service before they apply, but if there is any discretion operated where you work they may choose to recognise your previous service and make an exception in your case. If there is an enhanced scheme, it would be worth asking the question certainly.

In terms of when you should tell them, you don't need to tell them legally until you are 25 weeks pregnant, but most people obviously say earlier than that. Your employer is obliged to do a health and safety risk assessment for pregnant women, so if you feel there is any chance there might be things that should be looked at, you should give your employer the opportunity to do that. Also, you may feel extremely tired, or sick during the first trimester especially, so you might feel it would be a good idea to tell your immediate line manager at least.

On the other hand if you are feeling ok, lots of people wait until after the 12 week scan, at least to tell colleagues generally. Personally I'd probably tell immediate manager soon, and not anyone else for a while.

Poppins1 · 11/02/2008 17:46

Thanks for all your help guys.

I started back on 2nd Jan 08 and I am due 10th Sept which means i'm just out of the 26wks. It just seem stupid for the sake of three weeks or so. I could understand it if it was 6 or 12 months or something but I don't see any point in not paying out based on a few week - I went on one of thosse calendars to tell me if I would qualify and it said if I had started on 8th December 07 I would have been fine ---boo hoooooo

I am still really pleased but it will be one more thing to worry about when sproggy is here. No more holidays

OP posts:
flowerybeanbag · 11/02/2008 17:54

No harm in asking your employer when the time comes if they would be prepared to make a gesture of some maternity pay in recognition of your previous length of service. Can't hurt to ask

flowerybeanbag · 11/02/2008 17:56

Also, it's early days, your due date may change so don't give up hope - it's whatever your MATB1 form says that counts, and you don't get that til about 20 weeks or something iirc.

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