Maternity at Tesco Manager FAQs

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Maternity at Tesco Manager FAQs

TIME OFF How much time off work can I have? All colleagues are entitled to 52 weeks’ maternity leave. We assume they'll take all of this and they have to give you 8 weeks' notice if they want to come back to work sooner. They must take the first 2 weeks immediately after the birth off. They can add holiday onto the start or end of their maternity leave to extend their time off work. They can also add a Lifestyle Break or a Career Break to the end of their maternity leave. Am I entitled to time off for appointments? Yes, colleagues get paid time off for any appointments relating to her pregnancy including scans, midwife appointments, parentcraft classes, NCT classes etc.

MATERNITY PAY What pay am I entitled to? If they don't earn enough (over a specified period in their pregnancy) they won't be able to get any maternity pay. Go to My Maternity Pay to work this out with your colleague. If they meet minimum earnings levels then the maternity pay they can get depends on how long they've worked for us. They will get statutory maternity pay if they have worked for us for more than 26 weeks but less than 2 years at a certain point in their pregnancy. This is 90% of their earnings for 6 weeks, followed by lower rate statutory maternity pay for 33 weeks. They will get enhanced maternity pay if they have worked for us for at least 2 years at a certain point in their pregnancy. If I don't come back to work after my maternity leave do I have to pay my maternity pay back? No. If I need to change jobs because I'm unwell does my pay stay the same? Your colleague’s rate of pay (hourly rate or salary) will stay the same and her pay will just reflect the amount of hours she actually works.

Maternity at Tesco – Manager Guides

November 2014

SICKNESS WHILE PREGNANT What support do Tesco give me if my pregnancy makes me unwell? If your colleague is unwell due to her pregnancy:  

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Consider whether the Risk Assessment needs to be repeated (e.g. her work could be making her unwell) Don’t manage her attendance in line with Supporting Your Attendance, be supportive and work with her to provide a solution – this may include moving her to a different role temporarily, changing her hours, allowing her to work from home (office only) Consider whether it’s appropriate to start her maternity leave early if she becomes unwell due to a pregnancy-related illness in the 4 weeks before the week that her baby is due. This would depend on the reasons for her absence, for example: o if she’s off for 1 day with swollen ankles then consider allowing her to return to work o if she’s signed off work by her GP with high blood pressure then consider starting her maternity leave. Remember: From the 1 November 2014 the normal sick pay policy applies for any pregnancyrelated sickness. If your colleague was already off sick on this date please speak to your Personnel Manager so you are clear on what you need to do.

MY JOB AND CAREER Can I come back to the same job? We will aim for colleague’s to return to their original role however this isn’t always possible. If the colleague has been on maternity leave for less than 26 weeks then she has a legal right to return to her original role. If your colleague has been on maternity leave for more than 26 weeks, then you can legally permanently fill her role, as long as you ensure you have a role for her to return to which has comparable terms and conditions to the role she left e.g. pay, hours of work, place of work, benefits. Can I stay on Options? Yes, talk to your Manager to agree how you flex this. Why do I need a performance review before I go off on my leave? We want to make sure that our colleague’s career aspirations and work contribution is recorded so that when they are on maternity leave this can be reflected in any talent conversations. You can't talk to me about poor performance because I am pregnant! If your colleague is unable to fulfil her whole role due to her pregnancy, then this needs to be discussed during a Health and Safety Risk Assessment and her role adjusted as necessary. Pregnant colleagues would normally be managed in the usual way and this includes using the Supporting Your Performance process if necessary.

Maternity at Tesco – Manager Guides

November 2014

THE PROCESS When do I need to tell you my maternity dates? Your colleague needs to give her Notification of Maternity Leave form and her MatB1 form to your Personnel Manager 15 weeks before her due date. The Notification of Maternity Leave form tells us when she wants to start her maternity leave, if she wants to take any holidays before her leave and how she wants to be contacted. The Mat B1 form confirms that she is pregnant and shows her due date. Why do I need to have a risk assessment? A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of the harm which could be caused through any work activity. This helps us check whether appropriate control measures are in place, or if we need to do more to prevent harm. We will make sure that a risk assessment is completed when you are first told about their pregnancy and on an ‘as needed’ basis after this. The main risks to new or expectant mothers associated with work are:  accidents due to physical changes in the body;  harm to the unborn or breast feeding child from chemical or biological agents; and  miscarriage, premature birth or low birth weight from extremes in the working environment.  The majority of new and expectant mothers who work, do so with no adverse effects on them or their children.  General hazards that need to be considered are manual handling, shocks and vibration, heat and fatigue.

Maternity at Tesco – Manager Guides

November 2014