{"id":461468,"url":"\/maternity-leave\/","layout":"standard","version":"2025-05-07T16:04:31.000000Z","blocks":[{"id":4336058,"type":"banner","published":1,"size":{"x":12,"y":0},"order":0,"items":[],"properties":{"type":{"id":104610819,"value":"slim"},"title":{"id":104610820,"value":"Maternity Leave 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Leave Policy<\/h2><p>14\/8\/2020<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><p style=\"text-align:justify;\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p><h3><strong>1.1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Maternity Leave and Pay Policy<\/strong><\/h3><p>Pregnant employees will be entitled to take 26 weeks\u2019 Ordinary Maternity Leave and 26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave,\u00a0irrespective of their length of service or the number of hours worked each week.<\/p><p>\u00a0You may not return to work during the two weeks immediately following the birth of your child (four weeks for women who work in factories).<\/p><p>You are free to choose when you would like your maternity leave to start, however, the earliest you can choose to start your maternity leave is during the 11<sup>th<\/sup> week before the expected week of your child\u2019s birth.<\/p><p>In certain circumstances, your maternity leave may start automatically earlier than the date you chose as the start date for your maternity leave.\u00a0\u00a0 This applies where you are absent from work wholly or partly because of pregnancy at any time during the four weeks before the expected week of childbirth or if you give birth early.<\/p><p>\u00a0If you have at least\u00a026 weeks\u2019 service by the end of the 15<sup>th<\/sup> week before your child is expected to be born, you may be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), provided your average weekly earnings are at or above the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance.<\/p><p>SMP is payable for\u00a039 weeks.\u00a0\u00a0 For the first six weeks, SMP will be paid at 90% of your average weekly earnings.\u00a0\u00a0 For the remaining\u00a033 weeks, SMP will be paid at the standard rate which is prescribed by regulations and is adjusted from time to time.\u00a0\u00a0 The Company will inform you of the applicable rate.\u00a0\u00a0 If your average weekly earnings fall below the standard rate, SMP will be paid at 90% of your average weekly earnings throughout.<\/p><p>SMP will be paid subject to deductions for tax and National Insurance contributions in the normal way.<\/p><p>In order to be eligible for maternity leave and SMP, you are required to notify your manager in writing by or during the 15th week before the expected week of your child\u2019s birth.\u00a0\u00a0 You must inform your manager of the following:<\/p><ul><li><p>you are pregnant<\/p><\/li><li><p>the week in which your child is due<\/p><\/li><li><p>the date you intended to start your maternity leave<\/p><\/li><li><p>the date from which you will be claiming SMP<\/p><\/li><\/ul><p><\/p><p>You should enclose a MAT B1 certificate with your written notification signed by your registered doctor or registered midwife to confirm the expected week of childbirth.<\/p><p>You may change the date you start your maternity leave providing you give at least 28 days\u2019 notice in writing of either the new start date or the original start date (whichever is earliest).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>Within 28 days of receiving your notice, the Company shall notify you in writing of the date when your maternity leave will end.<\/p><p>Prior to your departure on maternity leave, your manager will meet with you to discuss your rights and entitlements during maternity leave, the possibility of flexible working on your return to work and the level of contact you would like with the Company during your maternity leave.\u00a0You should feel free to raise at this meeting any queries or concerns you have.\u00a0<\/p><p>Your manager may also offer you up to 10 days work during your maternity leave.\u00a0It is up to you if you wish to work these days.\u00a0The rate of pay for the work will be agreed in advance with you.\u00a0Your right to maternity leave and SMP will not be affected.<\/p><p>During Ordinary Maternity Leave, you will continue to receive your contractual benefits, and your normal terms and conditions will continue to apply, except for those terms relating to wages and salary.\u00a0You will continue to accrue holiday.<\/p><p>\u00a0During Additional Maternity Leave, the rights and obligations under your Employment Agreement are reduced, but you must still give notice in accordance with your Agreement if you want to leave.\u00a0\u00a0 In addition, you will continue to be bound by your obligations of confidentially and loyalty.\u00a0Only statutory holiday will accrue.\u00a0<\/p><p>\u00a0If any pregnant employees, or employees who have recently become mothers or who are breastfeeding are employed in positions which have been identified as posing a risk to their health and safety or that of their baby they will be notified immediately, and arrangements will be made to eliminate the risks.<\/p><p>If you have concerns about your own health and safety at any time you should consult your manager immediately.<\/p><p>You do not have to notify the Company separately of your return date.\u00a0It will be assumed that you will come back to work on the date the Company has notified you is the end of your maternity leave period.\u00a0However, if you wish to return to work before the end of your full maternity leave entitlement, you should give your manager at least\u00a08 weeks\u2019 notice in writing of your intended return date.\u00a0<\/p><p>If you return to work immediately after a period of Ordinary Maternity Leave you will return to work in the same job, you left before you started your maternity leave.\u00a0<\/p><p>If you return to work from a period of Additional Maternity Leave, you will return to the same job you were employed to do.\u00a0If this is not reasonably practicable, you will be offered a similar job on equally favourable terms and conditions.<\/p><p>If you decide not to return to work after maternity leave, you should confirm this in writing and give the notice required by your Agreement.<\/p><p>On your return from maternity leave, your manager will arrange a meeting with you to discuss any changes which have taken place during your absence.\u00a0This will be an opportunity to discuss any issues relating to breastfeeding.\u00a0You should also feel free to raise at this meeting any queries or concerns you have.<\/p><p>Parallel arrangements are available for the adoption of a child.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3><strong>1.2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Paternity Leave and Pay<\/strong><\/h3><p>Statutory Paternity Leave is a maximum of two weeks\u2019 leave, following the birth of a child, taken in order to support the mother or care for the new child.\u00a0It can be taken as a single week or two consecutive weeks.\u00a0 It cannot be taken as odd days or as two separate weeks.\u00a0<\/p><p>Statutory Paternity Leave must be taken within 56 days of the birth.\u00a0If the baby is born earlier than expected, it must be taken within 56 days from the date the baby was due.<\/p><p>To qualify you must have worked for the Company for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the expected birth week.\u00a0<\/p><p>Statutory Paternity Pay is paid at a fixed rate per week (determined in legislation) or 90% of average earnings if that is less.\u00a0It is paid less tax and National Insurance contributions in the normal way.<\/p><p>During Statutory Paternity Leave, you are entitled to all your normal contractual terms and conditions as if you were not absent, apart from basic wages and salary.\u00a0\u00a0 You have the right to return to the same job, on the same terms and conditions after Statutory Paternity Leave.<\/p><p>Paternity leave and pay are also available for the adoption of a child.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3><strong>1.3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Shared Parental leave<\/strong><\/h3><p>This leave entitlement is designed to give parents \/ adopters more flexibility in how to share the care of their child in the first year following birth or adoption. If you are eligible you can share up to 50 weeks leave, you and your partner can decide to be off work at the same time and\/or take it in turns to have periods of leave to look after the child.\u00a0 To be eligible you must meet the following criteria:<\/p><p>You (or your partner) must be entitled to maternity \/ adoption leave, or statutory maternity \/ adoption pay (or maternity allowance from the Government) and you must share the main responsibility for caring for the child with your partner.\u00a0 In addition, you and your partner will also be required to follow a two-step process to establish eligibility.<\/p><p>As the rules around Shared Parental Leave are complex, we would recommend you review the Government website for up-to-date information <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gov.uk\/shared-parental-leave-and-pay\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.gov.uk\/shared-parental-leave-and-pay<\/a>.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3><strong>1.4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Unpaid Parental Leave<\/strong><\/h3><p>As well as Shared Parental Leave, any eligible employee who has or expects to have responsibility for a child is entitled to take Unpaid Parental Leave to care for that child.\u00a0\u00a0 This includes the child\u2019s registered father or anyone else who has or expects to have formal parental responsibility for the child.\u00a0 To be eligible to take Parental Leave, an employee must have been employed by the Company for at least one year.<\/p><p>Parental Leave consists of 18 weeks\u2019 unpaid leave for each child born or adopted, taken at any time up to the child\u2019s eighteenth birthday.\u00a0 Up to four weeks\u2019 Parental Leave can be taken in respect of each child, each year, in blocks of one week or more.\u00a0\u00a0 Employees cannot take the leave in blocks of less than one week, unless the child is disabled.\u00a0\u00a0 You must give your manager at least 21 days\u2019 notice of your intention to take Parental Leave.<\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><h3><strong>1.5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Time Off for Dependants<\/strong><\/h3><p>You are legally entitled to take a reasonable amount of time off to deal with certain prescribed emergencies involving certain dependants.\u00a0 This leave is called Time Off for Dependants.\u00a0\u00a0 Time Off for Dependants can be taken, for example, if a dependant falls ill or is injured, if care arrangements break down, or to arrange or attend a dependant's funeral. \u00a0 A dependant is your child (including adopted child), husband, wife or parent.\u00a0 It also includes someone who lives in your household, and someone who reasonably relies on you, such as an elderly relative.\u00a0 Any time taken off must be necessary and reasonable in the particular circumstances.\u00a0 Time Off for Dependants is not paid.<\/p>"},"borderRadius":{"id":104610852,"value":"#{text.border.radius}"},"textColor":{"id":104610853,"value":"#{text.color}"},"backgroundColour":{"id":104610854,"value":"#0000"},"truncateHeight":{"id":104610855,"value":null},"template":{"id":104610856,"value":"text"},"padding":{"id":104610857,"value":"6"},"fullWidth":{"id":104610858,"value":"0"},"fullBackgroundColor":{"id":104610859,"value":"#{text.fullBackground.color}"},"published":{"id":104610860,"value":"1"},"conditions":{"id":104610861,"value":"[]"}}}],"properties":{"title":{"id":104610816,"value":"Maternity Leave"},"isStorePage":{"id":104610817,"value":"1"},"ogImage":{"id":104610818,"value":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/1miaqxjgclbogorvshjuk69kpjusqjtcn4rbippy0lmyoqrt.webp.webp?w=1200&h=auto"}},"labels":[],"published":1,"sitemap":1,"divisionId":388371,"edited":true,"keyPhraseCampaignId":null}