ANTE-NATAL CARE AND MATERNITY LEAVE
ANTE-NATAL CARE AND MATERNITY LEAVE
If an employee becomes pregnant then she is entitled to reasonable time off with pay during working hours to attend for ante-natal care on the advice of a Medical Practitioner, Midwife or Health Visitor. There is no service requirement before this entitlement arises. Partners of expectant mothers are entitled to unpaid time off to attend up to two antenatal appointments of up to 6.5 hours each.
For the first appointment during her pregnancy, no documentation is required by JTL but, before time off for further visits is agreed, JTL will require to inspect a medical certificate stating that the employee is pregnant and to see the appointment card.
The employee should advise her Manager as soon as pregnancy is confirmed and, again, as soon as a series of visits has been arranged. A full risk assessment will be undertaken by the employee’s line manager using JTL’s Risk Assessment for Pregnant Workers, a copy of which can be found on the Company intranet in the Health & Safety section.
There will be no maternity leave entitlement (or possible right to Statutory Maternity Pay) unless JTL is informed of the pregnancy by the employee. To take advantage of the right to maternity leave the employee must notify JTL no later than the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth (or as soon as is reasonably practicable):
- that the employee is pregnant;
- when the expected week of childbirth will be;
- evidence of the pregnancy with a medical certificate (such as the maternity certificate MAT B1 from a doctor or midwife);
- when the employee intends the maternity leave to start.
The employee should note that the start of the maternity leave must be no earlier than the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth.
To qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay the employee can give notice for Statutory Maternity Pay at the same time as the employee gives notice of the intention to take maternity leave. Although, to qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay only, the employee must give at least 28 days’ notice of the date the employee expects her Statutory Maternity Pay to start and provide medical evidence of her pregnancy (MAT B1).
All employees are entitled to 52 weeks’ Maternity Leave (26 weeks Ordinary Leave (OML) and 26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave (AML)). All employees should note that there is a compulsory maternity leave requirement of 2 weeks immediately following the birth of the child.
ORDINARY MATERNITY LEAVE
All employees have a right to a 26-week minimum period of maternity leave (OML) irrespective of length of service. All terms and conditions of employment, apart from remuneration, will continue to apply.
An employee on Ordinary Maternity Leave is entitled to return to the job for which she was employed before commencing maternity leave on terms and conditions no less favourable than those which would have applied if she had not been away. Details of maternity pay arrangements will be notified on an individual basis to the employee by the Human Resources Department.
ADDITIONAL UNPAID MATERNITY LEAVE
All employees are entitled to Additional Maternity leave (AML) for up to 26 weeks from the end of their Ordinary Maternity Leave. All terms and conditions of employment, apart from remuneration, will continue to apply.
The employee shall be entitled to exercise the right to return to her job, or a suitable alternative, on terms and conditions no less favourable than those which would have applied if she had not been away.
OCCUPATIONAL MATERNITY LEAVE
Because we believe in giving all the support we can to new parents within JTL, we also offer Occupational Maternity Leave. This is an optional payment that businesses can choose to pay on top of Statutory Maternity Pay – and a great way to enhance the amount received by new parent employees.
Employees with at least 1 year’s continuous service at the 11th week before the week the baby is due will be entitled to 26 weeks Occupational Maternity Pay as follows:
Weeks 1 to 13 Full pay.
Weeks 14 to 26 90% of pay.
Weeks 27 to 39 Statutory Maternity Pay
Employees with less than 1 year’s continuous service will be entitled to pay at the statutory rate.