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Improved rights for new working mums

Good news for new working mums. If you are pregnant or adopting a baby, the new employment rights which come into effect from the start of April could benefit you.  

The new rights are:

• Entitlement to a year's maternity leave, consisting of 26 weeks' Ordinary Maternity Leave (OML) and 26 weeks' Additional Maternity Leave (AML) regardless of length of service
• Extension of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Maternity Allowance, Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) to 39 weeks, instead of 26 weeks.  SMP/SAP are paid to a woman by her employer at a level of 90% of her average weekly earnings for the first six weeks of her leave.  After that, she will receive a flat rate or 90% of her average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for 33 weeks.  Maternity Allowance is paid by the Government at a flat rate or 90% of a woman's average weekly earnings for all 39 weeks;
• If a woman or adopter wants to change her return date from maternity or adoption leave, she will have to give her employer 8 rather than 4 weeks' notice.  This should make it easier for both the employer and the employee to make plans for the return to work.  To help in this process, the legislation also makes clear that employers will be able to make reasonable contact with their employees during maternity or adoption leave.
• Employers and employees will be able to benefit from the introduction of 'Keeping in Touch' days so that, where employees and employers agree (on the work to be done and the amount the employee will be paid), a mum on maternity leave can go into work for up to 10 days without losing her right to maternity leave or a week's statutory pay.

In addition to this the current right to request flexible working for parents with children under 6, will be extended to employees who care for an adult spouse, partner, civil partner, relative or an adult living at the same address.

Future changes and improved rights for new dads

• It is intended to extend paid maternity leave further, from nine months to a year, by the end of this Parliament.
• There are also plans to introduce paid Additional Paternity Leave, enabling fathers to benefit from leave and statutory pay if the mother returns to work after six months but before the end of her maternity leave.

For further information on these new rights or with any other childcare work0-related queries please contact Employers For Childcare on FREEPHONE 0800 028 3008 or visit www.childcareni.com