Maternity Leave and Pay - Civil Service Employee

[SMC1989]

Hi,

 

I'd like to get advice so I am armed with the best level of knowledge.

 

Civil Service Maternity Allowance.

- if employed for 1 year by the date of ordinary maternity leave starts - 6 months full pay.

 

- if employed for 26+ weeks (prior to the 15th week before due date) - 6 weeks at 90% of full salary then SMP Afterwards.

 

- otherwise SMP In line with normal guidelines.

 

 

Worked for OFSTED since June 2016. On 30/01/2017 I will be working for DWP.

 

It's not been done as an internal transfer though for some strange reason so on the Friday my ofsted employment ends. On the Monday my DWP employment commences.

 

However, had I stayed with OFSTED I

Would be entitled to the full 6 months full pay maternity entitlement. Had this been done as a transfer then I should be as it's all Civil Service (that's my understanding of the rules anyway).

 

However I think that as it's been done in the way it's been done then I start from scratch again in building my entitlement.

 

I'd be interested in advice as I feel it's pretty unfair.

[SMC1989]

I guess what I'm saying is should my employment with civil service be taken as a whole giving me my maternity entitlement or is it right for me to more or less have to start again?

[ericsbrother]

depends on the wording of the new employment contract.Some will say that previous employment does not count as continuous employment when you go elsehwere but the pension scheme will see it as continuous.

In local govt, moving from a LA school to an Academy created now contractual terms even though the salary is still paid through the local govt and the pension scheme is the same. Yours may be like that or it may be seen as continuous service. You may have to ask your HR division for their position if contract doesnt make it clear

[becky2585]

Have a look at your contract to see when your continuous service starts. Then look at the maternity policy and any other relevant policies to see whether both employers are associated or linked to combine your service for maternity benefits.

 

Usually benefits are calculated using your expected week of childbirth, rather than when you start maternity leave, so it's worth checking that too.