Maternity Leave

28 January 2014

Member Joanne Plumbley has asked:

I am after some advice on the distribution of annual leave for term time only workers on maternity leave. This relates to the actual time off rather than pay. An organisation that I provide payroll services to work term time only, there salary and holiday pay is equated into 12 equal payments over the year. Last year 2 workers went on materniy leave, 1 finished and gave birth early July and the other in September. The lady that gave birth in July feels that she did not benefit from the 6 weeks holiday as she was in receipt of SMP and the 6 weeks that is normally classed as holiday formed part of her maternity leave. The other lady had the 6 weeks holiday off and went straight onto maternity leave when the School reopened on 4th September. So the first person feels it unfair they will only be absent 39 weeks where as the other person was absent 45 weeks. (Neither person wants unpaid AML) I was just wondering what the procedure is in Schools and such like? This particular company is an afterschool club. Thanks