Are KIT days paid?

[Pearls18]

I am going on mat leave very early in September which is a bit awkward for my manager as I work in a university so this is a very busy period for us (I have legitimate reasons for doing so and my manager understands this) but out of guilt I have agreed to do KIT days to help the office out. There are many reasons why I am totally regretting saying yes to this now and I really hope when the topic arises again that I can really limit them. However, I stupidly thought they would at least be paid for but looking into it I'm not so sure, it costs me £10 a day to get to and from work and I would be losing a day of childcare that I am only paying for so I can get some studying done.

Does anyone know about if KIT days are paid for on top of your usual maternity pay??

 

[AP]

According to this, i think they are
https://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications...ernity-pay-smp/working-in-your-maternity-pay/

ETA: Yeah it says so in this weird thing lol
https://docushare.sunderland.ac.uk/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2683/Keeping+in+Touch+Days+FAQs.pdf

KIT days are intended to help you keep in touch with your workplace and allow you to do some work during your Maternity Pay Period without affecting your SMP. They could also help ease your eventual return to work. The type of work you do could be attending work for a training course or for an appraisal interview. These are just examples, but whether you take advantage of these days is your choice. Both you and your employer should agree that you can work on those days. Your employer does not have any right to insist that you work.
Any work you do as a KIT day, even as little as half an hour for example, will be counted as a whole day for KIT days. They can be taken as single days; in blocks of two or more days; or can be taken consecutively. Once you have used up your 10 KIT days and you do any further work, you will lose a week’s SMP for the week in the Maternity Pay Period in which you have done that work. If a week in your Maternity Pay Period contains only KIT days, you will be paid SMP for that week. If a week in your Maternity Pay Period contains the last KIT day and you do a further days work in the same week for the employer paying you SMP, you will lose SMP for that week.
For any KIT days that you work under your contract of service for the employer paying you SMP, your employer must pay you the SMP due for that week as a minimum. Any contractual payment for the work done as a KIT day, will depend on the agreement between you and your employer.

 

[Pearls18]

Thank you, thing is unless I'm totally stupid, I read it as they have to pay your maternity pay and the last line states "contractual payment will depend on agreement between you and your employer" because the KIT days will be in the first half of the mat pay it won't be SMP I'm being paid but the enhanced pay, probably the 100% pay bit and as awful as it sounds I will be resentful if I have to use those days to come in and work and not get anything extra

 

[Abz1982]

You should still get paid for them I think, on top of getting the 90%.....might be worth speaking to Acas as they might know?

 

[ArcaneSpark]

I did mine only in the last 3 months. I don't think you will get any £ if your in 90% pay when you do them. There were examples online when I looked when I was deciding! Just tell work no sorry you need to be home resting/with baby!

 

[cat81]

It is up to your employer whether they are paid but the way I understand it is that if you do them near the start when you are still getting enhanced maternity pay, you may well not get any extra. I did all mine nearer the end when I was on mat leave with my son and was paid for the day on top of my SMP.
If you don't want to do them, just say that you can't get childcare / feel unable to leave your baby so soon or something. Good luck. x