Maternity
Q How is maternity pay calculated?
A The first six weeks of maternity leave is paid at 90% of average earnings as calculated over the 8 weeks preceding the 15th week before the expected week of confinement. The remaining 33 weeks are paid at the statutory maternity pay rate which for the year April 2007/08 is £11718. For an employee whose average weekly pay is less than £117.18 (£123.06 from 5th April 2009) they are paid at 90% of average earnings for the complete 39 weeks of paid maternity leave. Please note that should an employee be awarded a pay rise before she goes on maternity leave, or during her maternity leave period, you will need to recalculate the average earnings to take account of this increase. If you require a more detailed explanation on this please give us a call and we will be happy to explain!
Q How much maternity leave are employees entitled to?
A Regardless of length of service, all employees are entitled to 26 weeks' ordinary maternity leave, followed immediately by 26 weeks' additional maternity leave - 52 weeks in total.
Q How much notice does my employee need to give me to let me know when she will be returning from maternity leave?
A If your employee intends to return to work at the end of her full maternity leave (52 weeks) she does not need to give you any further notice. However, if she wishes to return before this date she must give you eight weeks' notice of her intention to return.
Q Help! One of my employees has just notified me that she is pregnant, what do I need to do immediately?
A You need to write to the employee within 28 days of her notifying you that she is pregnant, outlining her entitlements to maternity pay and leave. You should also carry out a risk assessment to see if her job poses any risks to her or her unborn child. If there are any risks these need to be removed for the duration of her pregnancy. In addition, don't panic, continue to speak to her and remember she is pregnant not ill!
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