Any other teachers or ladies who work for the council? Maternity pay...

[RebeccaG]

Am starting to think about planning our next baby but I was wondering if you knew how long I need to go back to work for before I can take maternity leave/pay again? I know I need to go back for 13 weeks or I would have to pay some of my pay back but I read something strange about only getting mat pay if you have worked for so long...
Basically we would like to have our babies quite close together but there is no way we can afford to do it without my maternity pay iykwim?

 

[ellie27]

I am a teacher and I had my full mat year off.

I then went back for 1 month before ttc no2, we got pregnant the 2nd month.

I am sure that as long as you are not pregnant the day you go back then you are entitled to your full mat pay. ie you can get pregnant a few weeks after you return.

 

[Luluchaos]

I'm sure I read on the government website that you can actually go straight into your next maternity leave from the one your on if it works out that way. You still work for them, you've been employed the whole time, so that has nothing to do with it. You're entitled to maternity leave whenever you need it as long as you have been EMPLOYED by them for more than 9 months before the due date x

 

[ellie27]

I'm sure I read on the government website that you can actually go straight into your next maternity leave from the one your on if it works out that way. You still work for them, you've been employed the whole time, so that has nothing to do with it. You're entitled to maternity leave whenever you need it as long as you have been EMPLOYED by them for more than 9 months before the due date x

Yes, thats right, but I am sure your maternity pay is based on earnings before you finish up....if you are on mat leave then dont go back for that long before another mat leave then your pay will be calculated based on the amount of mat leave you were getting...dont know if that makes sense???

 

[RebeccaG]

I'm sure I read on the government website that you can actually go straight into your next maternity leave from the one your on if it works out that way. You still work for them, you've been employed the whole time, so that has nothing to do with it. You're entitled to maternity leave whenever you need it as long as you have been EMPLOYED by them for more than 9 months before the due date x

Yes, thats right, but I am sure your maternity pay is based on earnings before you finish up....if you are on mat leave then dont go back for that long before another mat leave then your pay will be calculated based on the amount of mat leave you were getting...dont know if that makes sense???

Yes that's what I'm concerned about... I know mat pay is based on your average earnings but not sure from when?

 

[babyblog]

It is based on your average weekly earnings from weeks 17-25 of th pregnancy. So if you were receiving SMP only during those weeks it my affect your next lot of mat pay

 

[RebeccaG]

Thanks babyblog! I knew it was something like that! Where did you get that info from? I need to be definitely sure as am planning on going back full time for a bit then will hopefully change to part time. So if I time it that those weeks are when I'm full time it would be based on that?! X

 

[RebeccaG]

Oh god! Just been looking online and am now so confused!!! Is smp standard? I seemed to get quite a good mat pay of full pay then 90% then 50% then smp... Or was that just my additional maternity pay?! Arhhhhg!!! Confused! Can I call up HR without my school knowing? Or would they tell school I'd been enquiring about further mat leave?!

 

[george83]

not an answer to your question either i'm afraid but something else to think about i work in a school and as long as i go back for 6 months at the end of my maternity leave i get 20 weeks half pay 'bonus'. we've already talked about baby number 2 but i need to make sure i'm back for at least 6 months - now i know why bosses hate us women so much!

 

[Mooshie]

Oh god! Just been looking online and am now so confused!!! Is smp standard? I seemed to get quite a good mat pay of full pay then 90% then 50% then smp... Or was that just my additional maternity pay?! Arhhhhg!!! Confused! Can I call up HR without my school knowing? Or would they tell school I'd been enquiring about further mat leave?!

I would imagine any query like that would be confidential, but you can maybe call HR and not give your name?

 

[1982emmac]

I'm a teacher, only took 6months off with DS, went back to work pregnant in the May and finished again in the Dec. I don't know if that helps you at all?! When are you returning to work?

 

[babyblog]

If you look at 'directgov' website it says that the qualifying week is 15 weeks before due date, so week 25 and an average is taken over the 8 weeks before this week. If yo receive occupational mat pay on top of statutory mat pay your company may have it's own policy about when you are entitled to receive this. Can you have a look a your polic guide and see?

 

[RebeccaG]

Ah that makes sense babyblog! Thank you! Yes I think I had extra maternity pay from county council... Is that occupational maternity pay then? God I'm so clueless!!
Thank you so much for all this info!

 

[babyblog]

Yeah any pay on top of stat is occpational. Hope you time it right

 

[RebeccaG]

Thank you! I'm going back June 5th and will have had a year off. Probably going back full time at first then part time in sept hopefully. So when could we start ttc? As not sure how long will take etc. X

 

[Cattia]

I am a teacher and was pregnant when I returned to work. I got full occupational maternity pay based on a 0.8n contract, as that is the contract I returned to work on. I'd like a third baby but I am only on a 0.6 contract now, which would mean my maternity was less again so I am not sure we can afford it for the time being!

 

[RebeccaG]

I know it's difficult. Need to work out exactly how much will get as don't want to have another if we can't really afford it. I do really want another though!!!

 

[RebeccaG]

Any ideas?x

 

[babyblog]

Well I think you could start ttc now, if you fall preg straight away you won't be more than 17 weeks when you return so you should be fine I think! X

 

[RebeccaG]

Ooo great! So is that the important thing? Not to be more than 17 weeks preggo by the time I go back? xx Thank you so much for explaining all this to me!!