Ten Useful Suggestions About Your Rights On Maternity Leave
There was a time when a woman who was in a relationship could concentrate completely on the task of running a home and raising children, full-time jobs in themselves. Those times have changed to a degree, though, as society and our economic needs often come together to dictate that most mums have to work. While most of the attention, quite rightly so, is on the pending arrival, you also need to be aware of your rights.
1. You have a maximum of 52 weeks of maternity leave available. This entitlement is paid to you, regardless of whether you work on a full or a part-time basis, or how long you’ve worked for a particular employer.
2. This maternity leave will be subdivided into two categories and will affect the amount of money that you receive from your employer accordingly.
3. The standard maternity leave ordinarily lasts for 26 weeks. You will be entitled to receive all your contractual rights during this period of time and to retain any perks such as a company car and your paid holiday earning ability. In other words, you are treated exactly as if you are still working, except for the payment you receive.
4. You will get “additional maternity leave” for 13 weeks after the initial 26 have been completed and now your contractual rights will apply only in certain areas. Your notice period remains the same, your availability of redundancy pay is unchanged and your typical disciplinary and grievance procedures still apply.
5. Statutory rights are effective throughout the entire period of maternity leave, including the potential for another 13 weeks of leave, which is unpaid. You may not be discriminated against and must not be passed over in favour of another employee in the event of redundancy.
6. You will qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) if you have 26 weeks of continuous service at the end of the 15th week before the baby is expected. This allowance is calculated and determined by reference to a period of eight weeks, up to and including the 15th week before baby comes along. You must have earned at least £87 per week before tax during this period. If you do not qualify for SMP, you may be entitled to Maternity Allowance.
7. The earliest you are able to start your maternity leave is 11 weeks before your baby is due, but it is up to you to decide and you can work right up until the birth. Your leave starts and your pay starts on the day you start your maternity leave.
8. You are not legally obliged to tell your employer that you are pregnant until 15 weeks before the baby is expected.
9. As a pregnant mother, you are entitled to free National Health Service, dental treatment and prescriptions as well.
10. It may often be in your best interests to tell your employer you are pregnant as soon as possible, as you will then be entitled to a reasonable amount of time off with pay for doctor’s appointments. In these circumstances, you may not be expected to handle certain substances, or to be involved in some tasks such as heavy lifting, in order to protect the unborn child.
You may well want to consider professional coaching to help you get ready for your new life as a “soon to be” mother, as there are a lot of things to take into account. Everyone knows that coaching for women is widely accepted and beneficial these days and online life coaching is available for every phase of your ever-changing lifestyle!
It’s important to note that this article is only intended as a general guide for women who are getting ready for maternity leave in the UK. It’s important to keep in mind that maternity legislation can – and does, change quite frequently. With the available information at the time, the author has written this article accordingly. We do not intend that this article should replace the current information that you may reveal through your own research process.
Amanda Alexander is the Director of Coaching Mums and a widely renowned ICF-accredited coach who delivers professional coaching programmes to working mums across the globe who long for more time, balance and fulfilment in their busy lives. Download our free eBook especially for working mums with 5 easy ways to achieve balance.
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