The following guidance should be read in conjunction with the Staff Handbook Maternity Leave Policy.
Before Leave:
- Ensure the employee is aware of Maternity Leave Policy, as this is likely to confirm the answers to a number of questions they may have. It also will enable you to identify your responsibilities, as a manager, in supporting this process;
- Conduct regular risk assessments, seeking input from the employee;
- With the employee, discuss and agree the appropriate communication of their pregnancy with colleagues and key stakeholders;
- With the employee, discuss and agree any additional arrangements required during the pregnancy, i.e. antenatal appointments, workload allocation, rest breaks etc.;
- Ensure the employee has received their MAT B1 certificate from their midwife or GP, to be submitted with their Maternity Leave Notification Form, as written confirmation from payroll cannot be produced until this has also been provided;
- With the employee, discuss and agree plans for maternity arrangements e.g. cover for their workload during their period of leave;
- Ensure the employee understands their entitlements during the period of leave;
- Sign the employee’s completed Maternity Leave Notification Form, which should be submitted with the MAT B1 certificate, to payroll;
- With the employee, discuss and agree contact during the leave period, including KIT days;
- Discuss with the employee how they wish to use their annual leave prior to and after the maternity leave period. This is important in supporting staff to ensure that they seek to take rest periods from work during the leave year, whilst also enabling the manager to plan to meet their business needs. The use of annual
leave can also be an effective tool when supporting the individual’s return to work. The expectation is that most annual leave could be taken during the leave year it is accrued, however, some carryover could be agreed by the manager if for example the individual was unable to take it before the maternity leave period and the manager felt able to accommodate this/it would support their business needs All requests for annual leave remain subject to the managers approval.
During Leave:
- Maintain the agreed contact with the employee;
- Ensure that, if utilised, KIT days (10 maximum) are used effectively;
- With the employee, discuss and agree the plans for the return to work, i.e. breastfeeding arrangements and risk assessments (if applicable), re-induction and workload;
- Create appropriate re-induction programme for the employee;
- Consider office arrangement for the employee’s return;
- Consider flexible working applications, if applicable;
- Consider additional support the employee may need upon their return;
- With the employee, consider and identify any potential training requirements for their return.
Confirming the end date of Maternity Leave
After receiving her notification, you must write to the employee, within 28 days of her notification, setting out her return date. A template can be found in the forms section of this Handbook. This will normally be 52 weeks from the intended start of her maternity leave. If during this time the employee changes the date her leave will start you must notify her of the end date within 28 days of the start of her leave.
The employee must give eight weeks’ notice if she wishes to change the return date. If you fail to give the employee proper notification and she wants to change her return date, she may not be obliged to comply with the eight week notice requirement.
Returning from Leave:
- Ensure breastfeeding arrangements and risk assessments are in place (if applicable);
- Administer an appropriate re-induction programme;
- Ensure the employee receives appropriate updates on new or amended systems of work, and any new members of staff or staff departures;
- Arrange regular meetings with the employee to discuss how their return is going and ensuring any reasonable identified support is put in place;
- Review flexible working arrangements, if appropriate.