Maternity leave

In order to qualify for maternity leave, you should inform your line manager no later than the end of the 15th week before the expected week of child birth (EWC).

However, the sooner you can inform your manager you are pregnant, the sooner a risk assessment can take place to best support you at work, and plans can be put in place to cover your absence.

Once you have informed your line manager you will need to complete the maternity leave notification request on ServiceNow to notify HR, so they can record your leave on the HR system and ensure you're paid correctly for your maternity leave.

Normally any date from the beginning of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth, up to the birth.

If you are off work for a pregnancy-related illness during the four weeks before the baby is due, your maternity leave will start automatically, no matter what had previously been agreed.

You can work up to 10 days during your maternity leave without this affecting your right to Statutory Maternity Pay. These are known as "keeping in touch" or KIT days. KIT days are taken by agreement.

During these days you may carry out normal day-to-day work or could, eg: attend conferences, meetings or undertake training. Any work carried out in a one-day period will count as one KIT day.

Once the 10 days have been exceeded, you will lose the right to a whole week’s SMP for any week in which you undertake any further work for the University.

Whether you receive additional pay for a KIT day will depend on whether you are receiving any kind of maternity pay at the time you work the KIT day:

Still receiving contractual maternity pay: You receive your normal pay for that week and no additional pay for the KIT day

Just receiving statutory maternity pay (SMP): SMP topped up so you receive your normal pay for the day

On maternity leave but not receiving any maternity pay: you receive a normal day's pay

Once you have worked a KIT day, your line manager needs to request payment by raising a ticket on the Service Portal .

The EWC is the week in which the baby is expected to be born – starting with the preceding Sunday and ending the following Saturday.

You may lose the right to start your maternity leave on your chosen date.

An exception will be made where it was not reasonably practical for you to give notice of your pregnancy earlier.

All pregnant employees are entitled to reasonable time off work for antenatal care.

Your manager can ask you for evidence of antenatal appointments from the second appointment onwards. If asked, you should provide a medical certificate showing you are pregnant and an appointment card or some other written evidence of their appointment.

Antenatal care may include relaxation or parent craft classes, as well as medical examinations, if these are recommended by your doctor.

To qualify for full Contractual Maternity Pay (CMP), you must have been continuously employed by the University for a minimum of 52 weeks by the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. You can use the calculator here to work out when your continuous employment needed to have commenced by in order for you to qualify.

You must return to work for at least 52 weeks after your maternity leave period. Regardless of your contract type, the University will require repayment of the difference between CMP and SMP if you do not return for the full 52 weeks due to:

a) resignation;

b) dismissal for gross misconduct; or

c) acceptance of Voluntary Redundancy, this is dependent on the Voluntary Redundancy Scheme in effect at the time (please see the Maternity Policy for more details).

If you don't know if you would like to return to work after your maternity leave, the University recommends you take Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP).

If you then decide to return to work and commit to return to work for a period of 52 weeks, you will be eligible to receive a lump sum payment for the difference between SMP and CMP.

Please note: if you are on a fixed term contract, you will not be expected to repay CMP if your fixed term contract expires during the 52 weeks or is not renewed or is renewed for less than 52 weeks following the period of maternity leave. CMP will only be paid whilst you are employed by the University. If your fixed term contract expires during your maternity leave, CMP pay will cease on the date your employment ends.

Full Contractual Maternity Pay (CMP) consists of 52 weeks’ leave of which 39 weeks are paid.

The 39-week pay period is made up of 26 weeks at full pay plus a further 13 weeks at Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP).

You must return to work for at least 52 weeks after your maternity leave period. If you do not return to work for the full 52 weeks after opting to receive CMP, you will only be entitled to SMP and you will be required to repay CMP (but not SMP). SMP is 90% of your average gross weekly earnings for the first six weeks followed by 33 weeks paid at the statutory rate of SMP set by the government (or 90% of your average gross weekly earnings if this is lower than the statutory SMP rate per week).

Regardless of your contract type, the University will require repayment of the difference between CMP and SMP if you do not return for the full 52 weeks due to:

a) resignation;

B) dismissal for gross misconduct; or

c) acceptance of Voluntary Redundancy, this is dependent on the Voluntary Redundancy Scheme in effect at the time (please see the Maternity Policy for more details).

Repayment is irrespective of the number of weeks you may have worked upon your return.

Please note: if you are on a fixed term contract, you will not be expected to repay CMP if your fixed term contract expires during the 52 weeks or is not renewed or is renewed for less than 52 weeks following the period of maternity leave. CMP will only be paid whilst you are employed by the University. If your fixed term contract expires during your maternity leave, CMP pay will cease on the date your employment ends.

No, work done on casual assignments through UniWorkforce does not count towards continuous service for the purpose of qualifying for contractual maternity pay.

Staff who opt to receive Contractual Maternity Pay (CMP) must return for 52 weeks following the end of their maternity leave.

The following types of leave will not count towards the 52 week return period and the clock will effectively be paused while the mother is on one of these types of leave:

- Shared Parental Leave

- Ordinary Parental Leave (where it is taken in relation to the child the mother has just taken maternity leave for)

- A further period of maternity leave

- Adoption leave

All other leave types (such as annual leave and sick leave) count towards the 52 week return period.

You are entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) if you meet the following conditions:

• You have been employed for a continuous period of at least 26 weeks, ending with the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth.
• You have average weekly earnings at least equal to the lower earning limit for National Insurance contributions.

The rates for Statutory Maternity Pay are usually updated each year - please refer to the GOV.UK website to view the current rates.

If you have paid at least 26 weeks of standard rate National Insurance contributions in the 66 weeks before the expected week of childbirth, you may be entitled to Maternity Allowance from the Department of Work and Pensions.

See www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance for more information.

If you do not earn the over lower earnings limit, the Department of Work & Pensions require the University to complete and submit an SMP1 form .

This will be done by Payroll who will need to see your MATB1 first to confirm your pregnancy.

If you are on a fixed term contract, your entitlements to maternity leave and pay are the same as a permanent member of staff and you are also subject to the same qualifying criteria for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Contractual Maternity Pay (CMP).

No. You maintain your continuous service during maternity leave.

You must give the amount of notice stipulated in your contract of employment.

If you have a 4-week notice period, where possible we would ask for 8 weeks' notice of your intention not to return to work.

This notice period may be taken while you are still on maternity leave.

No. You are still entitled to receive/retain you Statutory Maternity Pay and you won't be required to repay it.

You must take a minimum of 2 weeks’ maternity leave after the birth of your child.  This is known as compulsory maternity leave.

You can have off up to 52 weeks on maternity leave.  If you want to change your return to work date, you're required to give your line manager 8 weeks' notice.

Your maternity leave (and pay, if applicable) will start the day after the of birth of your child.

You will maintain your usual pension contributions while on maternity leave.

The University will then pay any shortfall to ensure that your contributions are maintained at full-pay level.

You continue to accrue annual leave while on maternity leave.

In addition, the University allows any unused annual leave to be carried forward to the next annual leave year if you were not able to take it due to being on maternity leave.

If you have more than one job and meet the service requirements for both organisations for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), you will be able to receive SMP from both organisations.

Similarly, if they meet the service conditions for both organisations, they are entitled to receive both forms of contractual maternity pay.

You will still need to provide evidence of your pregnancy. As only one certificate can be issued showing the same expected week of childbirth, the University will expect a letter signed by a doctor or a midwife, that includes the pregnant woman’s name and the date of childbirth. It must be stamped and, if issued by the midwife, must have the midwife’s PIN number and date of expiry.

Alternatively, you may show the original MATB1 to the University and a photocopy can be taken. This will then be signed and verified to confirm that the original copy has been seen. The other employer can then give the MATB1 back to you for use.

You will be entitled to take a further period of maternity leave.

You may not be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) for that pregnancy, as it will depend on your level of earnings in the 8 weeks before the qualifying week (which is 15 weeks before your expected week of childbirth). HR will be able to confirm this for you.

Your entitlement to Contractual Maternity Pay (CMP) will be unaffected.

The two periods of CMP will be treated separately. This would mean that the outstanding balance from the first 52 weeks return would run at the same time as the 52 weeks from the second period of maternity leave ran.

If you were to resign following the second period of maternity leave, where both clocks are still running you will have to repay both sets of CMP. If the outstanding balance from the first period of maternity leave has been worked, then only the second CMP will need to be repaid.

The same principles would apply if you become pregnant while on a period of adoption leave or decide to adopt while on a period of maternity leave or decide to adopt another child while on a period of adoption leave.

If your situation falls into any of the scenarios above, we suggest you contact Ask HR to discuss the implications and your entitlements.

If you fall sick with a pregnancy-related illness from the fourth week before the expected week of childbirth, your maternity leave will start automatically.

Before this date, sickness would be treated in the same manner as any other and follow the University's sickness reporting procedure.

Your probationary period will be paused while you're on maternity leave and will resume when you return to work.

If you currently receive childcare vouchers through salary sacrifice (before your maternity leave begins) you are entitled to continue to receive childcare vouchers throughout your maternity leave.

If you receive contractual maternity pay, you will continue to pay for your childcare vouchers as usual.

However, if you then progress to Statutory Maternity Pay, the University will ensure that the childcare vouchers are still paid throughout your maternity leave.

If you are eligible and opt to receive contractual maternity pay, there will be no effect on your maternity pay.

However, if you are to receive Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), it is important to consider the options.

Statutory Maternity Pay is based on salary (staff receive 90% of their average earnings for the first six weeks of SMP). Therefore, you will need to consider:

• If you are better off staying in the salary sacrifice scheme, receiving a lower rate of SMP, and continuing to receive your childcare vouchers for up to 52 weeks.

Or:

• If you should leave the salary sacrifice scheme before the qualifying period for maternity pay in order to receive a higher SMP. In this instance, you would not be entitled to receive childcare vouchers while you are on maternity leave.

The calculations for your maternity pay will be based on the salary that you receive in the 15th week prior to your expected week of childbirth.

The qualifying week will always commence on the Sunday and end on the Saturday of the 15th week period to your expected week of childbirth.

See Flexible working explained

If you have been continuously employed by the University for 12 months, you are entitled to a period of unpaid parental leave. This is leave taken to look after a child or to make arrangements for the good of the child.

Each parent is eligible for parental leave for each child and, where there are multiple births, each child attracts a 18-week entitlement.

The 18 weeks’ leave is unpaid and can only be taken in one-week blocks, with part weeks counting as a whole.  Only four weeks of this entitlement can be taken each year for each child.

The entitlement to 18 weeks parental leave occurs only once for each child and crosses employment boundaries. Therefore, if an employee has taken parental leave with another employer they will be asked to provide the details on the application form.

For more information and to apply for parental leave, visit the HR website .

Sick pay cannot be paid at the same time as maternity pay. You are therefore unable to receive sick pay at the same time as maternity pay.

If you come to the end of your maternity leave and are not well enough to return to work (whether as a result of childbirth or another reason) this will be treated in the same way as any other sickness absence.

You should inform your line manager of your absence and provide a medical certificate if you are continually absent for a period of 8 consecutive days.

You will then be treated as if you had returned to work and should follow the sickness reporting procedure.

We recommend:

• Use your KIT days to help prepare for your return to work.
• Meet with your line manager to discuss your transition back to work.

You have the right to return to the same job and on the same terms and conditions.

If this is not reasonably practicable, redeployment to a suitable alternative post will be sought.

The only exception to this is if a redundancy situation has arisen.

You could get a one-off payment of £500 to help towards the costs of having a child. This is known as the Sure Start Maternity Grant.

You usually qualify for the grant if you’re expecting your first child - or you’re expecting a multiple birth (e.g. twins) and have children already you already get certain benefits.

You must claim the grant within 11 weeks of the baby’s due date or within 3 months after the baby’s birth.

You don’t have to pay the grant back and it won’t affect your other benefits or tax credits.

For more information visit GOV.UK

Managers may make reasonable contact with staff on maternity leave, eg: to discuss plans to return to work or whether they wish to seek any changes to working hours or pattern of work on return.

You have the right to be consulted over a range of matters, eg: any proposed redundancies or reorganisation, and to be given information about pay rises, bonuses and internal vacancies (including promotion opportunities).