This is the process to follow and actions that should be taken for employees going on maternity leave
- Employee informs the line manager that she is pregnant
- Inform People and Culture Team
- People and Culture Team send employee information regarding maternity leave and pay (Maternity FAQ for staff)
- Line Manager to complete risk assessment (please review this every 4-6 weeks)- Risk Assessment Link.
- Please note the risk assessment should be completed as soon as we know she is pregnant, even if she has not 'officially' informed us or wants the wider team to know.
- Upload completed risk assessments to Staff Database (Recruitment > Maternity/Paternity Document)
- Line Manager to meet with employee to discuss ‘Initial Conversation’ regarding returning to work and pay - Initial conversation template Link
- Line Manager to upload 'initial conversation' to staff database as 'Maternity / Paternity' document
- Employee to inform in writing by week 25 of pregnancy of expected delivery date, when planning for maternity leave to start (this can be changed if given four weeks notice) and if they have more than one years continuous service, are they planning on returning
- People and Culture Team to respond with a letter outlining maternity pay and leave
- Employee to upload MatB1 form onto staff database (usually given at 20 weeks from midwife)
- Before Employee leaves line manager to complete maternity leavers form…
- People and Culture Team to calculate annual leave allowance to be carried over
- Accounts info
- Return to work
- If we haven't had a date from the employee, a letter will be sent a couple of months before detailing the return arrangements and assuming that the employee will take the full year as maternity leave.
- If the employee confirms that date that they would like to return, a letter will be sent confirming those arrangements. Employees must give 8 weeks notice if they wish to change their return to work date.
- Prior to return, the People and Culture team will plan a return to work induction covering any training that the employee may have missed and some check ins with HR and systems. This will be shared with the line manager.
KIT (Keeping-in-Touch) days
- Employees can take up to 10 KIT days. These must be agreed between the line manager (and their SLT link) and the employee.
- These can be used as a block or individual days. If the member of staff does not attend for a full working day, they will still be paid as if it were a normal full working day.
- Pay – we pay for a full day ‘on top’ of SMP (if still being paid SMP)
- If a KIT day is agreed, complete KIT Day record and send to peopleandculture@safefamilies.uk so that the employee can be paid for those days. Record all additional KIT days on same record.
Helpful websites / documents
- Safe Families Maternity Policy - Maternity Policy Link
- Maternity Pay Calculator - https://www.gov.uk/maternity-paternity-calculator