Pay scale progression on maternity leave

getmore4less

Get these things in writing especially the refused pay increment due to being on maternity and the must do KIT days.

Are these increments part of any collective bargaining?
Have the changes in the rules been consulted.

Assume the appraisal meeting was a paid KIT day.

Might as well check they are accruing the holiday properly.

I would try to obtain the full T&C of any pay rises and check them carefully for any potential discrimination

getmore4less

try this

https://www.gov.uk/statutory-maternity-pay-employee-circumstances-that-affect-payment

Another_not_new_user

But the (discretionary) pay rise hasn't been refused due to maternity leave. It was refused (we think) because the employee (any employee) was not present in work for 26 working weeks over the last year. So the OP needs to show why they have been treated differently than anyone else who may have been absent from the workplace. Maternity leave GIVES YOU A RIGHT TO BE TREATED EQUALLLY - not better. If the policy applies equally to every employee, then the argument gets harder and the case gets more expensive (for the OP). It might be won - but at what cost?

penny_crayon

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I don't think what they are saying is unreasonable. Is there a problem with doing some KIT days? I know my colleagues have found it very helpful (and so have we).

notanewuser wrote: »

Have you had 26 weeks of SMP?

Yes I have had SMP for 26 weeks

penny_crayon

Let me clarify the childcare part - I have my eldest child in childcare 2 days a week while I am on maternity leave (I had to to keep her place). The vouchers I get pay part of the cost. I have no childcare for the youngest child as I am not back at work, and no childcare provider will do a one off day round here. I receive less maternity pay because I get the vouchers as a benefit (it's calculated on the salary I get after the vouchers are deducted).

I am in contact with work anyway, I am expected to check my email, read staff briefings etc and I have contact with my line manager and other colleagues, so no real benefit to doing a KIT day. I have not been paid for attending my appraisal meeting btw.

The working 26 weeks in a year comes under the maternity and long term sick leave heading in the pay policy.

Another_not_new_user

On this issue the amount of SMP you have had is not relevant. Bottom line #1 is does this rule apply to everyone; bottom line# 2 is a possible claim of indirect sex discrimination. Possible. Do you want to go there? I will if you will. But I am not going to type out many detailed paragraphs of information about next stages unless you are serious about going there.

Another_not_new_user

penny_crayon wrote: »

Let me clarify the childcare part - I have my eldest child in childcare 2 days a week while I am on maternity leave (I had to to keep her place). The vouchers I get pay part of the cost. I have no childcare for the youngest child as I am not back at work, and no childcare provider will do a one off day round here. I receive less maternity pay because I get the vouchers as a benefit (it's calculated on the salary I get after the vouchers are deducted).

I am in contact with work anyway, I am expected to check my email, read staff briefings etc and I have contact with my line manager and other colleagues, so no real benefit to doing a KIT day. I have not been paid for attending my appraisal meeting btw.

The working 26 weeks in a year comes under the maternity and long term sick leave heading in the pay policy.

I need the entire wording of that policy.




The rest of it is , I am really sorry, your choice and your problem. You had a choice of your KIT days. You refused them. The reason isn't relevant. The law gives you that right - you didn't choose to take it. Any other "expectations" - tough luck unless you agree by doing it. Which you did.


You may be able to evidence that your lack of pay progression in your grade was due to direct or indirect sex discrimination. You haven't yet.


If you were in a union I am assuming you would have said so by now. So we are at £1,200 for a tribunal claim (which you won't get back, win or not), without a lawyer; a lawyer will cost a lot more. And then there is the whole "you do not actually now have a job" thing. Employment law does not have gracious solutions.


Are you whinging (which is fine, but don't expect a solution) or do you really want to "go there"?

getmore4less

penny_crayon wrote: »

I am in contact with work anyway, I am expected to check my email, read staff briefings etc and I have contact with my line manager and other colleagues, so no real benefit to doing a KIT day. I have not been paid for attending my appraisal meeting btw.

It that a written policy to be keeping in touch that much.

Ok to try and avoid career limitation but no need that's what KIT days are for

if on unpaid maternity they need to pay NMW for any kit day and they cannot deduct the salary sacrifice from that.

If your child care vouchers are over a certain amount(£55pw) then you need to check they have done the calculations correctly.

Still need the detail on the policy, and how they went about changing it this would need to be an agreed contractual change.

penny_crayon

Sorry, I am in a union, but as there is no rep in my school I have had to wait to get someone else to support me. I have had an email contact from them and I'm going to appeal the decision. It's just incredibly frustrating and stressful to be dealing with all this while I'm not at work.
Especially as it's a 2 year pay progression, I have been at work for all of the previous year and have always met my appraisal targets. Up until this year, pay progression was pretty much automatic, but not any more.

getmore4less

Is this something that is on the national pay scales.

What are the terms if you don't make it? Start the clock again delayed by the time of or some other method?