Maternity Pay Question.

frasersmum123

I work part-time for a large Supermarket and am currently on Maternity Leave.

Whilst I have been on Maternity leave, all employees have been given a pay rise, and the hourly rate on my payslip reflects this, however the money I recieve hasnt increased, and is still 90% of the wage I recieved before I started maternity leave.

Does anyone know if I am entitled to a wage increase, or am I only entitled to the wage that I was on when I left?

Many Thanks for any help.

mitchaa

I take it you have just started your maternity leave and are not yet in receipt of SMP?

I personally would have thought it should be 90% of your new wage. Are you sure it is not? I mean if the new hourly rate is on your pay statement then surely you have had the increase?

Look at your gross figures before tax, has there been a change from old pay to new pay?

If you are on SMP, you will receive the same amount regardless of any increases as SMP is a fixed rate.

frasersmum123

Because 90% of what I used to earn is less than SMP, I am entitled to that.

I know its the same because I always used to earn £437 and now I earn £398.

DaisyFlower

The 90% is calculated over a set period before you mat leave starts so you wont notice any different re the pay rise until you return to work after maternity.

frasersmum123

Thanks for that.

chrisbur

frasersmum123 wrote: »

I work part-time for a large Supermarket and am currently on Maternity Leave.

Whilst I have been on Maternity leave, all employees have been given a pay rise, and the hourly rate on my payslip reflects this, however the money I recieve hasnt increased, and is still 90% of the wage I recieved before I started maternity leave.

Does anyone know if I am entitled to a wage increase, or am I only entitled to the wage that I was on when I left?

Many Thanks for any help.

This sounds to me like a case affected by the 'Alabaster' judgement, full details are here...........
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/ecj_judgement.asp

Also details on page 27 of........
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/helpsheets/e15.pdf

Broadly SMP has to be recalculated if a pay rise occurs between the start of the eight week set period for calculating SMP and the end of the statutory maternity leave. For some women this may mean a couple of recalculations.