Maternity pay

[kanga]

I'm currently on mat leave and I receive :
- first six months is company enhanced maternity pay. Essentially half pay based on my earnings in weeks 10-18 of the pregnancy
- next three months is smp
- last three months is zero

We want to get pregnant again pretty soon and I'm wondering what the smallest amount of time is
That I need to go back for.

Does anyone work in hr who has a similar mat pay policy to this who can help?

If I am 14 weeks pregnant when I go back, is my mat pay next time based on 4 weeks pay rather than 8? Or because I was on mat leave is it different?

 

[kanga]

Also I've just had my second child. I have a three day contract that was agreed when I went back after number one. Do I need to make another flex working request to go back to full time? Or how do I go about getting a full time contract again?

 

[My_First]

Mat leave is basically seen as employed still so regardless the minium you will get is SMP and you will not have to have gone back ie if you had fallen pregnant immediately after your first. Assuming that doesn't happen you will just go back as you agree until you oh back on mat leave.

The only thing I would consider is that as your mat pay is based on a period of earnings and you were earning nothing during that period, I am guessing you won't get your enhances pay but standard SMP.

 

[kanga]

I'm happy I'll definitely get smp. But what I want is the company enhanced maternity pay...!

 

[Dinah93]

You'll need to read the company policies, I know when I worked for a council there was no minimum gap between children so long as there was no break in contract, but my friend who works for the NHS has to have 24 months between the births to get the full maternity pay again.

 

[LoveCakes]

I work for the nhs and have never heard of this. Is it in the agenda for change handbook?

To the op your smp is based on the 8 weeks up to your qualifying week normally the 15th week before your due date so if you are on mat leave it may be based on your mat pay. You might need to be working and back on full pay for the qualifying period to maximise it, so being back by 16/17 weeks pregnant.
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility

You enhanced calculation may be done differently so you'll need to read your handbook or contact hr. I'd say a lot of companies would use the sane qualifying period as SMP just to make things easier.

Once you go back you can start maternity leave from 11weeks before your due date so realistically you could go back at 16 weeks pregnant and leave again at 29 weeks pregnant, so about 3 months.

 

[kanga]

Oh yes I think you're right about the enhanced pay beig based on those weeks as well. So average pay in weeks 8-15. Wouldn't I have to be back working by 8 weeks pregnant though? Rather than 16/17..?

 

[LoveCakes]

I think it's the 8 weeks before your qualifying week. You're qualifying week is 15 weeks before your due date so 25 weeks pregnant.

25-8= 17

Is this right or am I getting confused lol. They don't make it easy!

 

[kanga]

Oh yeah, that's better news, thanks!

 

[cjwn]

Edited.