We offer a number of family friendly benefits, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave, parental leave and carers leave.
Maternity Leave
All women have a statutory right to time off with pay to attend antenatal appointments, which may include relaxation and parent craft classes, regardless of length of service
All pregnant employees are entitled to a period of 52 weeks maternity leave regardless of the employee’s length of service. This will comprise of 26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave followed by 26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave.
Employees with MORE than 6 months continuous service with the company, by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth:
- 26 weeks’ ordinary maternity leave
- 26 weeks’ additional maternity leave
- Up to 39 weeks’ maternity pay as follows:
Length of service |
Higher Rate CMP (weeks at full basic pay)
|
Lower Rate CMP (rates at lower *SMP rate)
|
Employees with LESS than 1 years service but more than 6 months continuous service with the company, by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth: |
12 weeks
|
27 weeks
|
Employees with MORE than 1 years service but more than 6 months continuous service with the company, by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth:
|
22 weeks |
17 weeks
|
Paternity Leave
Eligible employees may request either one, two or three weeks’ off work with pay within the period of 56 days beginning with either the date on which the child is born, or the first day of the expected week of the child’s birth, whichever is later.
The first two weeks of paternity leave will be paid at the employee’s basic rate of pay depending if SPP criteria is met. Payment during the third week’s paid Paternity Leave period (if taken) will be at the lower rate of either:
- the Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) rate of £ £151.20 as determined by legislation; or
- 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings.
Adoption Leave
Eligible colleagues will be entitled to take up to 26 weeks’ ordinary adoption leave followed immediately by up to 26 weeks’ additional adoption leave.
Adoption Pay is payable for 39 weeks.
Depending on the length of service (Providing their average earnings are greater than the Lower Earnings Limit) one of the following three options are likely to apply;
Employees with MORE than 6 months continuous service with the company, by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth:
- 26 weeks’ ordinary adoption leave
- 26 weeks’ additional adoption leave
- Up to 39 weeks’ adoption pay as follows:
Length of service |
Higher Rate CAP (weeks at full basic pay)
|
Lower Rate CAP (rates at lower *SAP rate)
|
Employees with six months continuous service with the company by the end of the week in which they are notified of being matched with a child: |
12 weeks
|
27 weeks
|
Employees with MORE than 1 years' continuous service with the company by the end of the week in which they are notified of being matched with a child:
|
22 weeks |
17 weeks
|
Childcare Vouchers
Tax-Free Childcare
You can get up to £500 every 3 months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of your children to help with the costs of childcare via the government scheme. This goes up to £1,000 every 3 months if a child is disabled (up to £4,000 a year).
Childcare Vouchers
From 4 October 2018 the childcare voucher scheme closed to new entrants. Employees who joined the scheme from before 1 September 2018, will still be able to use it and receive the associated income tax and National Insurance Contributions relief.