New job - is the maternity entitlement standard over UK?

[tgm1974]

Im due to be made redundant at the end of June and have another job to go into .... does anyone know what the length of service needs to be with a company before you are entitled to maternity pay. Ideally I want another child within the next 12 months but dont want to miss out on any maternity allowance - Ive worked all my life so I feel Im entitled to something. Plus as this new place is only a small establishement (about 30 employees) do you think they all have the same pay scales as a large company where I currently work??

Sorry to sound dim but trying to find someone who may have had the same experience

Thanks

[Buenchico]

With the exception of certain jobs where national pay scales apply (e.g. teaching or nursing), every employer is free to apply their own rates of pay (subject, of course, to complying with legislation relating to the Statutory Minimum Wage, sexual discrimination, etc).

Within those companies, every employee's contract is entirely separate to that of any other employee. For example, you could be working for �5.73 per hour while the person alongside you (doing exactly the same job) is paid �20 per hour. It's perfectly lawful. The only contract that matters to you is your own. There's absolutely no reason to assume that it will be the same as that given to any of the other people who'll you'll be working with, and there's no reason why it should have any similarity to your former contract of employment.

The rules relating to Statutory Maternity Pay are explained here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Moneyandwo rkentitlements/WorkAndFamilies/Pregnancyandmat ernityrights/DG_10029290

Chris

[Coppertop84]

In order to qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) your need to have been employed continuously for 26 weeks into the 15th week before the baby is due. You need to meet this criteria as well as other conditions such as your average earnings exceeding a certain level amongst other things.

If you qualify you would be entitled to 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks of maternity leave, then �123.06 per week (for 2009/10 tax year) for a further 33 weeks. These payments would be gross and subject to the usual tax and national insurance.

These payments are statutory and if qualified to receive payments subject to meeting all the conditions your employer must pay them. Some employers do offer Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP) which would be stipulated in the contract of employment or related terms of employment which you can check before signing a contract.

If you do not qualify for SMP your employer must issue form SMP1 which you could then use to assist a claim for Maternity Allowance.

The following website address will give more background on all of this.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/statu tory_maternity_pay.asp#caniget