All things Maternity.

Congratulations on your pregnancy…

From all of us at Grind we’d like to take the opportunity to congratulate you on your wonderful news. Now that we know, there’s a few bits we need to cover to make sure everything runs smoothly, and you have the information you need over the coming weeks and months. 

Risk Assessment

During your pregnancy, we are required to assess any risks to which you might be exposed. Your line manager will conduct a risk assessment every trimester as a minimum, which will be held on your personnel file at HQ. However, if you find that you experience any difficulties further to your risk assessment please get in touch with me straight away. 

 Time off whilst working

During your pregnancy you are entitled to reasonable time off to attend antenatal classes, provided you are able to provide an appointment card requiring your attendance at the classes. In most cases, with enough notice, we should be able to ensure your shifts work around any classes and appointments you need to attend. 

After your first antenatal appointment, we may ask you for a certificate or other such documentation from your doctor, midwife or health visitor, confirming that you are pregnant.  We may also ask for an appointment card showing the date of your next antenatal appointment. 

MAT B1 Certificate

A Maternity Certificate (MAT B1) will be issued by either your GP or Midwife after the 20th week of your pregnancy. This certificate will tell us the date the baby is expected to arrive.  Once this has been issued you should pass it on to HR along with notice in writing to let us know the date at which you think you would like to start your maternity leave, this way we can establish whether or not you are entitled to Maternity Pay.  

Maternity Leave and Pay

You are entitled to 26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave and 26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave, totalling to up to 52 weeks maternity leave. You can start your maternity leave from 11 weeks before your expected due date. We will need 28 days notice in writing of when you wish to start your maternity leave (as far as possible). If you have any outstanding holiday at this point you should also let us know when you plan on taking it, and you should include your line manager, so they are aware of your plans.

You may be entitled to receive Maternity Pay for the first 39 weeks of your leave.  Guidelines for qualifying for maternity pay can be found on the Government website. Once we have been formally notified through your MATB1 form we can begin to make calculations on this.

Contact During Maternity Leave

Shortly before your maternity leave starts, we will discuss any arrangements with you to keep in touch during your leave, should you wish to do so.  Please be advised that the Company reserves the right in any event to maintain reasonable contact with you from time to time during your maternity leave. This may be to discuss your plans for return to work, to discuss any special arrangements to be made or training to be given to ease your return to work or simply to update you on developments at work during your absence.

Keeping-In-Touch Days (KIT Days)

Except during Compulsory Maternity Leave, you can agree to work for the Company (or to attend training) for up to 10 days during either ordinary maternity leave or additional maternity leave without that work bringing the period of your maternity leave to an end and without loss of a week's SMP. These are known as 'Keeping-In-Touch (KIT)' days. Any work carried out on a day shall constitute a day's work for these purposes however you will only be paid for the hours that you work.

You will receive further information about KIT days once you have supplied us with your MAT B1 and Maternity Leave dates.

In the meantime, if you have any other questions or want to chat any of this over, please get in touch any time.  We hope you have a happy and healthy pregnancy.

 Best wishes,

Team GRIND

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