Can you take 'Keep in touch days' during your first six weeks of Mat leave?

[ryedalema]

Can I get some advice? My work is undertaking its annual appraisal season right now and I have 7 in my team who need doing. My interim started 2 weeks before I left (so has a couple of month's experience of working with them), but they want my input so that they have fair and representative appraisals (fair enough).

Problem is I'm still in my first 6 weeks of Mat leave and will need to do preparatory work and possibly go into work during this time period.

Can I legally do a 'keep in touch day' during my first 6 weeks? And also - what happens about pay as I'm getting paid full pay for the first 19.5 weeks anyway?

All advice gratefully received!

[Indiana]

Hello

My understanding is that you can take KIT days whenever during your maternity leave. However, you don't get paid for them on top of your maternity pay - so you are effectively working for free if you do them before the 19.5 weeks are up.

After your full pay from your employer finishes you should then be paid full pay for each day you work (pro rated). I think they deduct the pro rated #123 per week from the government from your pay if you are still receiving it. If it is the final 3 months of a 12month maternity leave when I don;t think we get anything from the government then you get the full pro rated pay from your employer - but they have to agree for you to take the KIT days.

Therefore it makes sense to take any KIT days in the final quarter, or at least once your employer pay has ceased.

Hope that makes sense - it;s my understanding of it based on my discussions with HR and policy - but you should probably check directly with your employer. Perhaps if they really need the work done they could let you 'work' the KIT days later in the year...i.e you do them now but they pay you for them later?

[ryedalema]

Wonderful Indiana - that's what I suspected. I will certainly be negotiating for my KIT days to be 'filed' later on in my leave.

[budur]

hi, the option i was given when i was considering working for few days on specific deals was extra days off. so there wouldn't be any extra pay, but once i'm back from maternity i would be able to take the days i worked as additional leave days and spend more time with the little one when i wanted. may be a simpler solution. good luck.

[busymum]

I was told that if I worked KIT days during maternity leave, whilst on SMP my SMP day rate (whatever that is - ?20 per day?) would be deducted from my normal days pay. I guess they might try and deduct more if you are getting full pay during those first few months. It would be worth checking with payroll 1st!